Because of You
by Supurrkitty
Summary: Chapter 12: Well, one problem was solved between Quatre and Demetri, but then up pops another. Can they really survive all of this or was there actually nothing between them to begin with?
1. The Attempted Rescue

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
The Attempted Rescue  
  
The arena lights were shining bright, and the crowd was swarming in the stands. Music rumbled from the speakers. Her heart was beating fast as the other competitors made their runs in the finals. She tightened her grip as they announced the last girls run time.  
  
" Up next, Demetri Roswald, riding Lady Luck..."  
  
She was surprised, even though she expected it; she made her way to the arena. She walked into the arena, gripping her leather reins and adjusting in her saddle. She pet the mares neck as she started to dance on her hind legs, anxious to run.  
  
Demetri took a deep breath and looked up at those three barrels. She finally gave her appaloosa the lead, giving her a kick with her heals and...  
  
" Ms. Roswald! Is there something outside that is more important than your studies?" The professor leaned against her desk and looked out the window.  
  
Demetri blinked, coming out of her daydream. She looked up at her professor, who was smiling down at her.  
  
" N-no, sorry sir..." She mumbled, embarrassed. " It won't happen again..."  
  
" We'll see that it doesn't." The professor said, starting to make his day to the front. " Let us use Demetri here as an example. If an animal is subjected to one lesson for long periods of time, it is sure to get bored, distracted or, even, violent." He turned back to the class and smiled. " Now, aren't we glad us humans are separated from the animals, so we don't end up like that?"  
  
The class showed it's displeasure in sighs and the rolling of eyes.  
  
" So, Demetri, let us fallow one of the rules of humanity that is so hard for you sophomores to comprehend. Never give in to instinct, it gets you in trouble." The professor smirked, pleased with himself.  
  
" Sir," A student said from a seat.  
  
" Yes, Mr. Winner?" The professor asked the blonde boy.  
  
" I'm afraid I don't agree with that. There are times, even now, when our instincts are needed for survival." Quatre Winner said, standing up slightly " Which would make Demetri stronger than you and your beliefs."  
  
Demetri looked over at him, surprised that anyone would contradict a college professor, especially in defense of another student.  
  
" Really? What rank are you, Mr. Winner?" The professor asked  
  
" I am a sophomore, sir." Quatre said, not liking where this was going.  
  
" There you go, what did I tell you about college sophomores?" The professor laughed as well as some of the higher-ranking students.  
  
Then the bell sounded for the end of the day.  
  
" Alright class, read chapters 23-30, do your paper with your partner, get ready for the test, and remember, Ms. Roswald, Mr. Winner, Instinct may help you survive, but knowledge is power."  
  
Demetri exited the classroom, not bothering to look at the professor, or acknowledge anyone's existence. Quatre walked up beside her.  
  
" I'm sorry if I just made things worse," Quatre said, looking at his books.  
  
Demetri looked over at him, then shook her head and smiled.  
  
" No, not at all." She chuckled, " It takes guts to stand up to a professor. They're always so full of themselves. Thank you."  
  
Quatre smiled back and laughed.  
  
" Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, it was nothing. We're students in a vicious environment, we gotta help each other out, right?" Quatre looked at her as she smiled back. Demetri was an average height/weight girl, with wavy dark brown, almost black hair that went to her tailbone. She had tanned, olive skin and was wearing casual jeans and a T-shirt with three Texas stars on it. Her most eye-catching feature, though, were her eyes. They were a dark aquamarine color, when full of emotion like now.  
  
" I should probably think of a way to repay you..." Demetri said aloud and thought for a minute  
  
" Oh, no. You don't need to do that, really. I..." Quatre was cut off.  
  
" Oh, come on, there's gotta be something. Maybe homework, or a test you need to study for?" Demetri asked as they stopped walking near a bench. Demetri looked up at Quatre, pleadingly. She really wanted to pay him back.  
  
" Well, now that you mention it...Do you have a partner for that paper, yet?" Quatre asked. Demetri just shook her head. " Well, that's how you can pay me back. Be my partner and we'll finish that report this weekend."  
  
" But, that's helping me, too. That's not just a favor to you." Demetri protested.  
  
" Fine then, you can help me with my homework and to study for that test, too. To tell you the truth, I'm not that good at studying and I don't like taking tests." Quatre said and Demetri smiled, nodding her head.   
  
" We can get started tonight, if you'd like. I'm not doing anything. I can order Chinese food and we can start studying in my room, I have a bunch of other books on the subjects of the reports. We can have the best report in the class." Demetri said, filled with a new confidence.  
  
" That...sounds good..." Quatre said, at first a little nervous about going into a girls dorm after dark.  
  
" Great!" Demetri dug through one of her notebooks, until she pulled a loose sheet out. " These are directions to my dormitory building down the road and my room number. You can go get your stuff and meet me there. Oh, wait. I forgot to ask your name. It's Quatre, isn't it, Quatre Winner?" Demetri asked.  
  
Quatre just nodded.  
  
" Alright, I better get going, I'll see you a little later, Quatre, Bye!" Demetri waved to Quatre, who waved back, then stood, just looking at the paper Demetri handed him.  
  
He shook his head, then headed for the parking lot.  
  
" Hey, Quatre!" Someone yelled to him, he turned around to see a slightly peeved Duo Maxwell. " What do you think you're doing leaving your best friend behind and not giving him a ride home!?"  
  
Quatre stared at him, blankly, before it hit him and he thwapped his head with his hand.  
  
" Oh, I'm sorry, Duo!" Quatre smiled, guiltily " I sort of forgot..."  
  
" That's not like you..." Duo looked at him, examining him. Quatre just blinked. " Hmm, you're distracted by something...hmmm..."  
  
Quatre raised a brow at his sudden interest in 'what is distracting Quatre today'.  
  
" It's a girl, isn't it?" Duo asked with a smile.  
  
" Knock it off, Duo!" Quatre said, pushing his head away and started heading for the door.  
  
" Ha! I was right, it is a girl!" Duo said, skipping up behind him. " So, what's she like Quatre? Is she pretty? Would I like her?"  
  
Quatre just ignored him and opened the door, and was met by a large, wet, gust of wind. It was raining furiously now, as opposed to the sprinkles they got in the morning.  
  
" Well, I guess it's that season." Duo shrugged as they walked into the rain. He looked back over to Quatre and smirked. " Now, about that girl..."  
  
" Will you just shut up already, Duo..." Quatre growled, unlocking the door to his car and putting his stuff in the middle seat of the front. He got in, as did Duo in the passenger seat.  
  
" Fine, whatever, you don't let me have any fun..." They started to drive and Duo looked at Quatre's stuff in the middle seat. A paper stuck far out from the rest, so Duo pulled it out and looked at it.  
  
Quatre glanced over and almost swerved into another car.  
  
" These are directions to another Dormitory! A Coed dormitory, no less!! Way to go Quatre, the major playboy!!" Quatre pulled off to the side of the road and put it in park, looking over at Duo.  
  
" Duo, she is just helping me with my science class, that's all!" Quatre said, sternly.  
  
" Is it a Biology class?" Duo asked, laughing.  
  
Quatre stopped. Actually, it was a biology class of sorts, but that wasn't the point.   
  
" Duo, there is nothing between me and Demetri, I just met her today and..." Quatre started.  
  
" So?"   
  
" Forget it, why do I even bother! You're just going to let your imagination run wild, anyways!" Quatre gave up and continued driving.  
  
" Alright, Quatre, I believe you. I just like to nag you, that's all." Duo said.  
  
" Thank you..." Quatre sighed.  
  
" One more thing, Quatre..." Duo said.  
  
" What?" Quatre asked.  
  
" This is the way to that girls dorm, not ours." Duo said with a smirk.  
  
" Oh," Quatre said flatly and made a U-turn when he could.  
  
A/N- Sooo? How'd you like the first chapter? Was it good? Are you wondering what's going to happen next? Please review. I would deeply appreciate it and love you forever if you do... 


	2. Forgotten Dreams

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
Forgotten dreams  
  
Quatre felt a little stupid, sitting out in front of a girl's room, waiting for her to come home. Especially since he had a load of things with him and expected her to be there when he got there. He tried to occupy himself by counting the raindrops on his umbrella.   
  
He could hear the thunder rumble outside and the rain beat against the side of the tall building, which was already swaying in the harsh winds.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps coming his way.  
  
" Quatre! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't expect to see you this early! How rude of me!" Demetri said and she stumbled to unlock the door. Quatre noticed that she still had her books and papers and her pants were caked in mud. She finally got the door open and invited Quatre in.  
  
" I'm sorry, it's still a little messy. I thought I'd have some time to clean up before you came, but I got a little caught up...and...well, sorry for being late..." Demetri said as she scurried to pick up some stuff strewn across the room..  
  
" That's alright, I have nothing to do anyways. After all, it's a Friday" Quatre shrugged and looked around. " You have a nice place, what is it, two room?"  
  
" Two room and Kitchenette..." Demetri said, stuffing some clothes in her closet. " Make yourself comfortable, I just bought that couch last week." She pointed to the fine-clothed, pinkish tan couch.  
  
Quatre sat down on the couch and set his things on the coffee table in front of him as Demetri dug out her books and papers. She went and sat across from Quatre in a chair, setting everything on the coffee table.  
  
" Alright..." Demetri said, smiling down at everything.  
  
" Okay..." Quatre leaned forward, like he was expecting something.  
  
" Where to start..." Demetri slightly frowned.  
  
" Uh...I think we're in trouble..." Quatre said and Demetri nodded in agreement.  
  
" I think you're right, but...I usually don't get stuck like this..." Demetri kind of whined, then slapped her forehead. " Of course! Food! How could I forget! We can't think without food!!" Demetri got up and headed to her phone in the kitchenette.  
  
Quatre blinked as he watched her walk out, not quite understanding her logic.  
  
" Any preferences?" Demetri asked from the kitchen.  
  
" Huh? Oh, no, I don't care what you get..." Quatre said, still a little confused.  
  
" Hmmm..." Demetri went on with her ordering and Quatre just shook his head.  
  
He started to look around the room more. She had pretty expensive looking things, some antiques, but especially captivating to Quatre was one of her walls.  
  
It was covered in pictures and shelves with trophies and such. Quatre got up to inspect it closer. The pictures were of a girl riding a variety of horses around barrels. All of them had dates and times on them. The girl held a confidence and light in her face, always looking forward at what Quatre assumed was the next obstacle. As the pictures got more recent, they looked more and more like the young woman he came to know as Demetri. And then there was one picture different from all the others. It was a delicately framed photo of a white horse with a few black speckles on her body and face. The horse was finely groomed and had near perfect conformation. She proudly wore a leather and silver-plated halter. It had a small gold plate that read:  
  
Lady Luck  
  
May 19, AC 193- June 13 AC 198  
  
Quatre moved his gaze over to the shelves. They had trophies with horses featured on them, some with a rider, some not. Even one had a horse chasing a cow with a rider. And then there were what looked like Belt buckles, some round ones, some rectangular ones and some heart-shaped ones. All had a specific sport or class featured on them.   
  
The entire wall seemed to sparkle in a brilliance Quatre couldn't help but admire. He jumped slightly when Demetri walked up beside him, also examining the wall.  
  
Quatre looked over at her. She seemed to be stuck in thought as her eyes traced over every item, a small smile spread on her face. But then, her smiled disappeared and her eyes held a sorrow that Quatre couldn't quite comprehend. He traced her eyes to where they were placed, on the picture of 'Lady Luck'.  
  
' She was only five years old,' Quatre thought ' I wonder what happened...'  
  
Quatre shook his head. Based on the look on Demetri's face, it was not something she'd want to share with someone she just met that day. So, Quatre decided to try and distract her from it.  
  
" So, what'd you get this one for?" Quatre asked, pointing to a triple heart-shaped belt buckle set in silver and bordered in gold.  
  
He smiled when he saw her face light up again and she started to explain the Miss High school Rodeo competition she had gone through to win that in one of the classes. She didn't seem to regret not winning anything else and not even going to those finals. She just seemed happy to have given her best.  
  
They talked about the sports she had competed in and the horses she had and their funny little habits. They were interrupted when there was a knock at the door.   
  
Demetri went to answer it and found out it was the food. Quatre offered to pay before, but, they finally decided to split the cost after much debate. She set it on a table by the door and started to count out the money, when she noticed someone down the hall. She tried to ignore the person and smiled at the delivery guy after she gave him the money. He left and Demetri was about to close the door.  
  
" Hey Demetri! Why so much food? You got company tonight?" A male voice called, fallowed by the clunk of feet on the floor.  
  
Quatre looked over as Demetri held the door open just enough to see out.  
  
" As a matter of fact, I do and I don't need you bothering us, Brody." Demetri said and went to close the door, but a strong hand held it open.  
  
" Now, hold on a second there, girl. Male or female?" The guy asked, coming too close for Demetri's comfort.  
  
" It doesn't matter..." Demetri said, sternly.  
  
Quatre tried to look around Demetri to see this rude intruder, but couldn't quite see past.  
  
Brody attempted the same thing, and also failed.  
  
" Hmm, must be some dude..." The man said in a spiteful tone. " Well, you never let me come in here, I'm a little hurt. You got something against cowboys, now?"  
  
" I have nothing against cowboys, they have morals, are chivalrous and well mannered. You, well, you're a Bull rider, nothing more." Demetri smiled " And I don't like having bull riders get my carpet dirty, so go!"  
  
" Hell, you wouldn't recognize a cowboy if you saw one, now. You've been out of it ever since you broke that mare of yours." Brody said, laughing lightly.  
  
Quatre caught a glimpse of her face and it first showed pain, then anger, as she smashed the man's fingers in the door, but not hard enough to brake them. They bother heard a yowl of pain. Demetri opened the door, to allow him to remove his hand, then closed it and locked it.   
  
She leaned her head against the door and listened until she heard his footsteps disappear. She was about to pull away from the door, when what he said fully sunk in. She felt tears come to her eyes and she kept her head against the door, trying to calm down.  
  
She hid her face from Quatre and breathed deep, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat and clear her fogging eyes.  
  
Quatre looked over at her, a little concerned and confused.  
  
" Uh...Demetri...?" Quatre started to walk over to her, but she pulled away from the door, looking rather normal now. She smiled at Quatre.  
  
" Sorry, I was kind of lost in thought." Demetri said, grabbing the food and bringing it to the coffee table. " Let's eat some of this food, already! I ordered a lot, because I didn't know what you liked. I guess I'll have this for the next couple of days."  
  
Quatre examined her face for a second, before smiling back at her. He could tell she was keeping some feelings in, but he didn't want to intrude. But there was something else that nagged on his brain.  
  
" Who was that guy?" Quatre asked, while serving himself some food.  
  
Demetri looked at him for a second before answering.  
  
" Some Bastard I went to High school with. I swear he fallows me everywhere. His behavior is dangerous and unacceptable. I'm afraid to say that you meet a lot of those type in the Rodeo business." Demetri took a bite of her food and looked at the door with hatred. " They're evil. Satan spawn I tell ya!"  
  
She smiled at Quatre and he chuckled.  
  
" I guess you find those type everywhere, in all walks of life, huh?" Quatre said.  
  
" What about you, Quatre?" Demetri asked, " Which walk are you taking?"  
  
Quatre thought for a minute.  
  
" Where do I fit in?" Quatre sighed, " That's a good question..."  
  
" No, not where you fit in. You don't have to fit in to achieve a goal." Demetri said, as if it were the simplest concept in the world.  
  
" That depends on who you asked." Quatre said  
  
" Well then, do you have a goal you wanna reach, maybe...a dream?" Demetri asked, full of interest, " What do you wanna do when you grow up?"  
  
Quatre chuckled and thought to himself.  
  
" I never really thought of that before..." Quatre realized.  
  
" What!?" Demetri got up and sat next to Quatre. " Didn't you have any dreams when you were growing up as a child? Something great you wanted to be?"  
  
Quatre looked at Demetri sitting next to him. Here eyes seemed so soft now, so compassionate. She really cared about what he had to say. He looked back down at his hands and gave a small smile.  
  
" I don't really remember if I did." Quatre said.  
  
" That's too bad..." Demetri looked away from him and bit her bottom lip. " Since before I can remember, I've always wanted to be the winner. I got so focused on it..." She looked over at the trophies and such on the wall, her eyes welling with tears.   
  
" I got so focused, that ...I guess I just didn't realize my dreams had changed...and I found out too late..." Demetri clutched her pants and stared at the table.  
  
" What happened?" Quatre asked before he realized what he was asking.  
  
He looked at Demetri, whose eyes widened for a second, then she got, what Quatre thought, was the most painful look he had ever seen. She closed her eyes tight and tears started pouring out.  
  
" I...I'm sorry!" Quatre found himself facing her and apologized.  
  
Demetri shook her head, making tears fall off her face.  
  
" It's...it's not...your fault...Quatre..." She gushed out and tried to wipe her tears away.  
  
She looked so weak and small now to Quatre. Her strong composure that she kept while facing the Bull rider just disappeared. And Quatre did what came natural to him, as he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder.  
  
" I'm sorry..." He said again.  
  
" It's my fault! I...killed her...!" Demetri said into Quatre's shoulder.  
  
Quatre just rubbed her back, shocked at himself. He realized what he was feeling now, he missed her smile and wanted desperately to bring it back. He wanted things to be better for her, but he felt hopeless in helping her.  
  
" You didn't kill anyone..." Quatre said, softly. He didn't know if this was true or not, but he didn't think Demetri was capable of something like that.  
  
" Yes, I did...I should have known at the finals..." Demetri said, weakly.  
  
' The finals?' Quatre thought to himself, ' It must have been that horse...Lady Luck...There must have been an accident at finals...how awful...'  
  
Quatre stayed silent, as did Demetri. She cried in his arms, until the steady streams stopped and she was left with a dizzy head and a pink face.  
  
Quatre pulled her away from him and looked at her, about to say something. He was stopped when he saw her eyes. They were a magnificent shade of blue, tinted green, darkened like the ocean right after a raging storm, when the clouds still lingered, but the rain stopped. Quatre smiled at her.  
  
" Do you feel any better?" Quatre asked.  
  
Demetri smiled and nodded at him, pulling herself away from him. She looked herself over and noticed she was still wearing her muddy pants and boots. She pulled off her boots and set them aside.  
  
" I forgot I was such a mess..." Demetri said, quietly. She actually did feel a little better. " I'll be right back..."  
  
Quatre watched her leave with a smile, and then leaned back on the couch.  
  
' Wait, what just happened, anyways?' He asked himself, ' I've had class all year with this girl, but I really just met her today. I really shouldn't have asked her that, but she didn't really seem to mind. She still doesn't want to tell me everything or open up all the way. I'll respect that...'  
  
Demetri came back in the room, this time wearing flannel pants and a sleeveless shirt.  
  
" This is all I have besides jeans..." She said, blushing a little. Quatre smiled at her and shrugged. She came and sat beside him once more, picking up her food and poking it a little.  
  
" Quatre..." Demetri started, looking at her food.  
  
" Yeah?" Quatre looked over at her.  
  
" Will you be my friend, Quatre?" Demetri asked.  
  
" Of course I will, Demetri." Quatre smiled " How could I not want to be friends with a person like you?"  
  
Demetri smiled and blushed, looking down at her hands.   
  
" Thanks, Quatre..."  
  
A/N- Meh, second chapter...meh, it's not so good, when's it gonna get good? Well, it'll get good...yes. but when? It'll get good...  
  
lol, anyways, please Review and read the next chapter when it comes up...  
  
Maybe I can make that into a poem, ne? 


	3. Ischnos, Megalopores, Glaphyros, Deinos

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
Ischnos, Megalopores, Glaphyros, Deinos  
  
Quatre sighed and took his reading glasses off(Quatre with glasses, how undeniably cute!). He and Demetri had talked up until just recently, when they finally decided they needed to at least figure out what they were going to do their paper about. So now, they were studying all the subjects and trying to decide what they liked best.  
  
" Demetri, have you found...?" Quatre put his book down and looked next to him. Demetri was curled up against the arm of the couch, asleep. The book was falling from her grasp, open. Quatre reached over and picked the text out of her hand. He examined it and decided she hadn't read that much, so she must have been asleep for a while.  
  
' Must have been all that crying...' Quatre thought, then looked at his watch, ' Or the fact that it's after midnight...'  
  
He set the book on the table and got up, stretching. He had to head back to his own place. And now, he had to have a fool-proof explanation for Duo on why he was out ALL night.  
  
Quatre looked over at Demetri, who was still asleep. She moved a little in her sleep and groaned.  
  
" I'm...sorry..." She said in her sleep. Quatre smiled and shook his head.  
  
" It's not your fault." Quatre said to the sleeping figure, though he had no idea what she was talking about or dreaming about.  
  
Demetri smiled in her sleep and curled up comfortably again with a sigh.  
  
Quatre looked around until he found a small, woven blanket and put it over Demetri's sleeping body. He got his stuff together and got out a small piece of paper and a pencil and wrote a note:  
  
Dear Demetri,  
  
I would have said goodbye, but you fell asleep right in the middle of our studying! That's okay though, it was way too late for us to try and use our brains, anyhow.  
  
We didn't get any work done last night! We should probably just try to do the whole thing today. Since we both probably want to sleep in, why don't we meet at lunch? We can meet at that park over by the University. I'll bring the food, you bring your books.  
  
Give me a call when you wake up: 555-0585  
  
Hope to hear from you soon!  
  
Your friend,  
  
Quatre  
  
PS- You snore!  
  
Quatre smiled to himself as he put the note on the coffee table with it's corner under a book to keep it from blowing away.  
  
Quatre grabbed his stuff and headed out, using one of her spare keys to lock the door behind him. He stuffed the key in his pocket and walked down the hall to the stairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Quatre was awakened the next morning by his bed being kicked and Duo yelling at him to wake up. He rolled over and looked at his clock, it was only seven in the morning. He rolled back over and looked up at an annoyed Duo.  
  
" What the hell do you want?" Quatre asked, fixing a glare on Duo.  
  
" For you to keep your word. You said you'd drive me into town today, I have a date." Duo said, glaring right back.  
  
" Stupid American!" Quatre said, holding his glare.  
  
(Supurrkitty: Hey!)  
  
" Weak Arab!" Duo shot back.  
  
(Malak: Hey!)  
  
" Fine, whatever!" Quatre sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was still in the clothes he wore the night before.  
  
" Besides, you have a call, some girl." Duo said, trying not to smile or laugh " I'm assuming the one you were with all night..."  
  
Duo smiled then went into the kitchen to make some coffee.  
  
" It must be Demetri..." Quatre said to himself with a smile.  
  
He got up and went to answer the phone in the kitchen, but Duo had gotten to it first.  
  
" Really? That many? Wow! Oh, Q's up, I'll give the phone to him..." Duo smiled widely as he handed Quatre the phone, " She was just telling me about how many guys she's slept with."  
  
Quatre shook his head and put the phone to his ear.  
  
" I'm assuming what Duo just told me was a lie and the conversation was not about your sexuality?" Quatre asked into the phone.  
  
" Why would you think your best friend was lying to you?" Demetri asked.  
  
" ..." Quatre was left speechless and looked over at Duo, who was trying not to crack up.  
  
" No, no, it wasn't, we were just joking around. Duo told me how easy it was to annoy you or make you blush, or trick you. I just wanted to test that theory." Demetri said, giggling. Quatre just sighed and rubbed the back of his head.  
  
" Why I thought Duo and I being room mates was a good idea is a mystery to me now..." Quatre said and Demetri laughed. Then Quatre smiled to himself. " I'm assuming you got the note?"  
  
" I don't really snore, do I?" Demetri asked in a demanding tone.  
  
" Only when you breathe in." Quatre chuckled  
  
" Quatre!" Demetri protested.  
  
" No, you don't. I suppose Duo isn't the only one who enjoys joking around." Quatre laughed, " So, is noon okay with you?"   
  
" Yeah, I don't do anything that time of day." Demetri said  
  
" One more thing." Quatre added  
  
" What is that?" Demetri asked  
  
" What are you doing up so early after staying up so late?" Quatre whined.  
  
" I always get up at six, no matter how late I stay up. It's a habit, a very good habit." Demetri said  
  
" Unless you're an insomniac..." Quatre said.  
  
" Well, I'm not, are you?"   
  
" No."  
  
" Then there's no problem." Demetri said cheerfully.  
  
" Alright," Quatre smiled to himself again, " See ya later then?"  
  
" Of course, bye." Demetri said.  
  
" Bye." Quatre hung up the phone and smiled to himself..  
  
" A date?" Duo asked, full of curiosity.  
  
" No, we're doing a paper." Quatre said, defensively.  
  
" Isn't that what you did last night?" Duo raised an eye-brow.  
  
" Well..." Quatre was about to tell him that they didn't get anything done, but that would leave too much to his imagination. " It's a long paper."  
  
" Right..." Duo nodded, smiling. " If you'd like me to stop, drive me into town and give me some money..." Duo said, hand on hip.  
  
" Reasonable." Quatre said, grabbing his keys.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Wow, Quatre! We're really amazing, aren't we?" Demetri stretched after she closed the laptop.  
  
Her and Quatre were sitting on a grassy hill, over-looking a small pond. They had already eaten and threw their garbage out. Now they just had a few drinks at their side, a hell of a lot of books, some paper, and a laptop.  
  
" I can't believe we finished a twenty page report in one day!" Demetri uncrossed her legs and spread herself off, yawning.  
  
" Yeah, talk about it. I think my brain is numb!" Quatre complained, laying back on the grass. Demetri did the same. She looked up at the bright blue sky. It was funny how such an ugly storm could leave the sky more beautiful than before.  
  
" What time is it?" Quatre asked.  
  
Demetri held her hand up so she could see the watch on her wrist.  
  
" It's about four, why?" Demetri looked over at Quatre, hoping he wouldn't have to leave.  
  
" No particular reason. I just have to pick Duo up sometime, but..." Quatre yawned, stretching his arms out. " I have a feeling he'll be out most of the night and maybe get his own ride home..."  
  
" Hmm, he is an odd one from what I know..." Demetri put her arms behind her head and closed her eyes.  
  
" Try living with him..." Quatre groaned, making Demetri laugh.  
  
He was such a soft personality, always polite, always calm and collected. Demetri found it amusing and cute when he got frustrated or angry.  
  
" Do you wanna do something?" Demetri asked calmly.  
  
" Like what?" Quatre asked, looking over at her. She looked back and just smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" I didn't know this place was here." Quatre said as he got out of Demetri's truck and looked around.  
  
Demetri was in the truck, putting on her boots, then put her hair in a ponytail and through a cap.  
  
" I don't know how you can miss it, it's the biggest one around these parts." Demetri said, shutting the door and heading towards the stables. " C'mon."  
  
Quatre fallowed her, examining his surroundings.  
  
There were endless stables as far as he could see, filled with horses. There were wash racks and round pens and one arena in view.  
  
" I come here everyday around this time and deal with most of these horses in this block of pens here." Demetri said, gesturing to the pens closest to her.   
  
" What do you do with them?" Quatre asked, full of interest.  
  
" Well," Demetri started, with a sigh, " I do what their owners are supposed to do. Groom them, clean their stalls, exercise them. Sometimes, I even rife them for when their owners are away. I do some farrier work and mild vet work, nothing serious. I also feed them in the mornings and afternoon."  
  
" That's a lot of work, what do they pay you?" Quatre asked, amazed.  
  
Again, Demetri sighed before speaking.  
  
" Enough to live on and free board for one horse" Demetri went over to the hose and yanked it out of it's bundle, starting to drag it to the big round pen, which was the only thing that had buckets instead of automatic water.  
  
" One? I expected you to have a lot of horses..." Quatre said, looking into the large pen they were walking to. There were four young horses that seemed to be fighting over nothing. They stuck their heads and perked their ears when they heard the two humans step towards them.  
  
"..." Demetri looked in Quatre's direction, but avoided looking at him, making Quatre think he should have kept his mouth shut. " Nope, I just have one." Demetri said, now smiling.  
  
They reached the corral and Demetri stuck the hose through the bars and into one of the half barrels, letting the water flow freely into it. The horses trotted over, giving soft knickers and nipping at each other's flanks or hindquarters.  
  
" Sorry boys," Demetri said, holding her hands up, " I got nothing on me, I'll feed you later. Unless you want to eat him." Demetri pointed to Quatre, who raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.  
  
He could have sworn that the horses looked at him and gave the thought of chewing on his trampled body consideration. He shook his head, deciding it was just his imagination. But he still jumped in slight fright when one of the horses stuck it's head over the fence and gave his collar a good sniff and nibble. Quatre stepped back.  
  
" Do these horses always eat people on your command?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Of course." Demetri said in between laughs. She stopped when she noticed the barrel was about to overfill and she moved it to the next one in the pen.  
  
Quatre watched her climb up the rails on the corral and bend over the top to reach one of the colt's head. She started to rub his neck and the horse swayed back and forth, enjoying his grooming and trying to groom back. But, Demetri kept pushing his head away, reminding him that you can't itch humans the way you itch horses. Her smile never faded as she interacted with these giant animals.  
  
Quatre leaned against the rail in front of him and stuck his hand through, absentmindedly rubbing a bay at the side of its face. Every now and then, he would look over at Demetri who seemed to be enjoying every minute she spent with the horses.  
  
' I wish she smiled like that all the time,' Quatre thought to himself, then, out of no where, a ping of jealousy hit his mind, ' I wish she smiled like that for me... Where did that come from?'  
  
Quatre's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rocks rearranging and puddles splashing under the pressure of four rubber tires. He turned around and saw an old, blue truck. The windows rolled down, revealing a young man with long, dark hair in a loose ponytail in the passenger seat. Quatre looked past the boy and into the driver's seat. A dirty blonde boy with messy hair and a thin face, gave them both a smug looking smirk.  
  
Quatre looked back up at Demetri. Her smile had faded and she gave the truck and it's inhabitants a thorough glare. Quatre looked back at the two guys. The dark-haired one seemed nervous about Demetri's glare, but the other seemed pleased by it.  
  
" Blakely Roswald!" Demetri shouted to him in a scolding tone, " When did you start hanging around with scum like Brody!?"  
  
The dark haired boy looked kind of scared of her, but got out of the truck and took a few steps toward the two.  
  
" Hey, nice to know my presence is appreciated!" The blonde, Brody, called to her with a wave. " I gave your little bro a ride, how nice of me, I know!"   
  
He turned off the truck and jumped out himself.  
  
Quatre eyed the two boys cautiously. Brody gave him a cold look, as if Quatre were a dark stain on a white shirt. Quatre was a little confused and taken aback by this until he realized just how out of place he was. He was wearing good shoes, which were now muddy, dress pants and an ironed shirt.  
  
Suddenly, Quatre felt like more of an outsider than any other time in his life. He wanted nothing more than to disappear into the mud beneath his feet, just to escape view. He turned back around and started to pet a horse again.  
  
" Who's that?" Brody asked, using his thumb to motion towards Quatre.  
  
Demetri jumped down off the fence, smiled at her brother, then glared at Brody, and finally, looked over at Quatre, who didn't look like he was in the mood to be introduced. Demetri sighed and looked back over at Brody.  
  
" That's Quatre, he's a classmate." Demetri explained, trying not to look at the man in front of her.  
  
" Oh good, I thought I'd have to have a word with him," Brody said " Thought he might be the dude you were screwing last night that left early this morning."  
  
Quatre turned beet red, but continued to itch the animal in front of him, sticking his head through the bars. He'd expect that Demetri would give him a good yelling, at the least. But all Quatre heard was a frustrated sigh and the small chuckle of her brother.  
  
Brody smiled at Demetri, very pleased with him self. Blake tried his best not to laugh as Demetri rolled her eyes.  
  
" Brody, your presence here is no longer needed." Demetri said, hands on hips.  
  
Brody laughed and waved as he went back to his truck and jumped in.  
  
Demetri watched him leave, before turning back to her brother, who just shrugged.  
  
" You sure do talk a lot, Blake." Demetri said and Blake shrugged again.  
  
" I'm glad to see you," Demetri said, not even trying to hug him, knowing how he'd react. " But, what are you doing here? And why did Brody drive you?"  
  
" I guess you didn't get my letter, then." Blake said in a low voice. " This is where I decided to go to school, and apparently the rest of our family's college-bound children want to go to school in this area as well..."  
  
" So?" Demetri asked, looking very confused.   
  
" So," Blake started, a blank look on his face, " I came to warn you, the whole family has moved here. Just thought you'd like to know."  
  
" What!?" Demetri asked with such volume that Quatre hit his head on a rail in surprise, making him fall backwards into the mud, barely conscious.  
  
Blake and Demetri looked back at him as if he had not been there before and just appeared.  
  
" Quatre?"   
  
A/N- *Evil laughter* 


	4. The Plain, the Grand, the Elegant, and t...

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
The Plain, the Grand, The Elegant, and the Forceful  
  
Quatre knew his senses were returning to him when he realized he was no longer laying flat in inches of mud, but on a soft cushiony presence. He dared not open his eyes, but closed his fingers at his side. His hand was still covered in mud as he guessed the rest of his body was. But, the mud was thicker and crustier than before, it must have had time to dry. How long had he been out for?  
  
  
  
Quatre sniffed the air lightly. Instead of the humid stench of the mixture of wet horse and urine he had been expecting, he was met with the aroma of what smelled like a hearty cooked meal. It was very welcoming and almost made him want to either go back to sleep, or get up and find out what was cooking.  
  
After his few seconds of bliss, though, Quatre became fully aware of the affect of hitting his head on a metal pole. It seemed like every inch of his body ached, but mostly, his head. Quatre brought his dirty hands to hold his head, letting out a hiss of pain. He rolled onto his side, curling himself up.   
  
  
  
Suddenly, he heard the murmuring of voices from behind a thin wall and the clanging of pots and other dishes, as well as feet shuffling on a hard, wood floor. A small pair of feet tapping on the floor seemed to get nearer. Maybe someone had heard him? Who were these people anyways? And, where was he?  
  
  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by an excited shriek that made his head throb even more.  
  
" ARGH!" Quatre quickly sat up, holding his head in both his hands.  
  
" Mommy!!! Demi!! He's awake!! Mommy!!" The same voice shouted. The loud thumping on the ground led Quatre to believe that she was jumping up and down.  
  
Quatre moved one of his hands out of the way and dared to peak to see what was going on. The light had affected him much like it would affect a heavy drinker with a hangover. He winced, closing his eyes temporarily, but opened them again. He looked ahead of him and saw a small girl with short, raven hair jumping up and down and pointing to him. Quatre blinked at her in confusion until a tall woman with wavy dark hair and dark eyes marched past the wall that he suspected all the others were seated. The woman gave him a smile, then looked down at the girl in a scolding manner.  
  
" Eos!" She whispered harshly, putting her finger to her lips to hush her. Quatre was immeadiately grateful for the cease in loud noise and it aloud him to hear the scraping of chairs against the floor.  
  
But, then, Quatre became a little nervous and hurt. Had Demetri abandoned him? She wasn't there. No, no one would do that, especially not Demetri. She was way too considerate to ever abandon an unconscious person lying in the mud next to a pen of horses.  
  
Quatre looked at the doorway at the wall, growing even more confused as more people appeared, not coming closer, just sticking in the doorway.  
  
There was a tall, older man with chocolate brown hair, who stood at the front, next to the motherly looking woman and the annoying little girl. There were two boys who crowded in to see, pushing each other to get a spot. The both looked like high school students and both had dark brown hair, though one was lighter than the other. Quatre simply blinked at them and they blinked back. Quatre could not remember when he had been more confused.  
  
" Right," One of the boys, the older looking one with darker hair leaned against the wall, " Now, what -err who exactly are we looking at?"  
  
" Hey!" Quatre heard a familiar voice and watched one of the boys get jerked into the other one. Demetri emerged from behind them, glaring madly at the two. " I'M the one who has to get through!!"  
  
" Demetri, dear-" The older woman said soothingly, pointing to Quatre.  
  
Demetri huffed, then turned and smiled at the blonde who was currently seated on her family's couch.  
  
" You gonna live?" Demetri asked, seating herself next to him.  
  
" Er...Yeah." Quatre took his hand off his head and away from his eye. Bad idea. Light invaded his other eye and led him to vocalize his pain. " Heh...I think, anyways..."  
  
Quatre shifted so he could put his feet to the ground and, upon setting them down, he was shocked by a cold sensation that sent shivers up his leg. He looked down and realized his shoes were no longer on, nor his socks. He did not notice that Demetri was watching him with concerned eyes.  
  
There was a shifting sound and a sigh from the doorway.  
  
" Well, now that we've got THAT cleared up..." Quatre heard the same boy say and two pairs of feet tap out of the room. He looked over at Demetri, who was now focusing on the remaining crowd in the room. Her father nodded and walked out of the room, fallowed by his wife, who was dragging the little girl. Quatre heard the man mumble something about driving people to the hospital.  
  
" And that..." Demetri turned back to Quatre and smiled, sheepishly. " ...was most of the Roswald family. I'll introduce you later."  
  
Quatre nodded, feeling confused and lost. It must have been that blow to the head.  
  
" Where are my shoes?" Quatre asked and both him and Demetri looked down to his feet.  
  
" Oh," Demetri smiled widely, " It's a funny story, really... You see, I brought you in and all, with Blake's help, and we wanted to put you on this couch, but it took a while for us to convince mom. She was afraid that you would get it all dirty, but we convinced her that it's what Jesus would do. So, she let us, but said we had to take off your shoes, because it was bad manners to leave them on. Imagine, having bad manners when you're unconscious." Demetri laughed out loud.  
  
Quatre would have laughed, but his head was aching him too much, so he resorted to a smile.  
  
" You have a very large family..." Quatre said quietly.  
  
" Strange, too. You didn't see all of them just now. You saw Blake earlier and Lee is camping on the lawn." Demetri said with a sigh. She looked at Quatre's confused face and didn't wait for him to ask for her to explain. " Lee is my only older sibling. Unfortunately, him and my father have had a...falling out, as it were, and my mother just doesn't have the heart to kick him out. If I remember correctly from Blake's account, Dad said ' I will not have ANY symbol of war in under MY roof, be it a weapon or my very own son!'. So, he moved out from under the roof and into the back yard. Blake says it was quiet a show..." Demetri trailed off, looking to the window, a faint smile on her face.  
  
"'Symbol of war'? What did he mean by that?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Well," Demetri turned her head back toward him, grinning sheepishly, " My brother wanted to join Preventers for a while now and only told me and Blake. You can't trust those two troublemakers of brothers..." Demetri frowned through the wall, where they could hear two boys laughing and the mother shouting at them to shut up and eat. " Anyways, my father has a conspiracy theory about that particular organization, unfortunately. Say anything anywhere near to the subject and he'll start going off on how they just want you to think they're helping us. He says, instead of putting out fires, they try to fan them. He says they can profit from it, because they're making weapons behind our backs and sell them to whoever wants to fight." Demetri laughed, " He can really be ridiculous sometimes. I mean, this is a government agency we're talking about, not some secret society. They're connected to all kinds of other agencies" Demetri sighed again. " Try to tell dad that, though, and you get kicked into the backyard. I haven't been able to speak to Lee, yet..."  
  
Quatre was awestruck. He never thought that anyone would ever think that way about Preventers. He felt he had somewhat of an insider view, having helped form and fund it himself, even though, as Demetri had said, it was a government agency. He was also pretty sure it had not turned into what this man feared, having contacted Wufei more than once each year, who was usually stationed at the main office. But, this opened a new light to Quatre. For those who didn't know all that he did, who never knew when the Preventers barely averted the outbreak of another war, who were never told about any tensions or forming of conspiring organizations, what did those millions of people think? Quatre knew some were glad to just leave it to other people to deal with and be happy and content with the peace, confident all would be taken care of. But, Quatre also knew that those people were few.  
  
" Do a lot of people think that?" Quatre asked and Demetri gave him a sympathetic smile.  
  
" You don't get out much, do you?" Demetri's smile faded when Quatre seemed to get paler. " I'm afraid, you hear all kinds of theories, especially on Earth. But none crazier than the insane ones you hear in the rodeo crowd."  
  
Quatre looked back down at his feet, suddenly becoming nauseas. Is this what people really thought of the peace he fought to establish and keep?  
  
" But, you got your believers, too." Demetri smiled at him, " Overall, people really want peace. Some of them just think we're going about it wrong or that the system is going to blow up in our faces." Demetri let out a dark laugh.  
  
" It's worked so far, hasn't it?" Quatre said, coldly. Demetri blinked at him and then stood up.  
  
" C'mon," She smiled, " Let my mom feed you and then she'll give you back your shoes."  
  
" No, that's okay" Quatre said, standing slowly to try and avoid the dizzy spell that soon fallowed. " I don't want to intrude..."  
  
" Quatre, my mom's not going to take no for an answer. You should just come willingly. Either way, you're going to leave here on a full stomach, believe me." Demetri put her hand on her hipped and raised and eyebrow.   
  
Quatre wasn't quite sure what to say to her as she turned around. If this was the only way he'd get his shoes back, fine, but his head was killing him and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and sleep, possibly never waking up again. He had to admit, though, the food had been calling to him since before he knew where he was and he did find Demetri's family amusing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Quatre used his fork to move the food on his plate around. He thought he had been starving and was very grateful for the food, but now he didn't think he could take another bite. Demetri's mom had already piled well over two helpings of home-fried chicken, potatoes, biscuits, peas, and corn on the cob. All, besides the black coffee on the side, of which was drowning in thick gravy. It made Quatre's arteries clod just looking at it. He wondered how the whole family had managed to stay so healthy. He then figured it must have been the amount of work they did in a day.  
  
Quatre was just listening to Mrs. Roswald explain how she had grown all of the vegetables and fruit, and raised the chickens of which they were then eating (she had a peach cobbler waiting in the oven), when there was a loud bang from outside the kitchen door. The whole family stood at once. Quatre watched them and soon fallowed order. They quickly filed out of the kitchen and into the humid night. No light was present, because the moon had not yet come up, but half the family took off into the darkness. Demetri stayed behind, sticking next to Quatre, which he was very grateful for. He looked to his side to see Mrs. Roswald and the little girl had stayed behind, too. Quatre heard a door open at the house, and looked in time to see Blake, his hair now down and wearing pajamas. Blake peered out while tripping over himself as he tried to put on a pair of boots. He gave out a sharp curse and shoved his foot the rest of the way into the right boot; promptly taking off in the same direction the other boys had gone in.  
  
Loud noises could now be heard from that direction. Bangs, stomping, clanging, shouts, even the sound of something hitting flesh.  
  
" Coming your way!!" A shout came from that direction.  
  
" What does he mean by that?" Quatre asked quickly and cautiously.   
  
But, he never got his answer. Loud Thumps on the ground could be heard, like the galloping of hooves. Quatre looked over at Demetri and the others and was swept with fear. Mrs. Roswald was rushing a terrified Eos back into the house, something more than concern on her face as well. Demetri, on the other hand, stomped forward, rage apparent in her features. Quatre looked at her in disbelief as she scrambled to grab some twine from a bale of straw. She looked back at Quatre and glared at him for the first time.  
  
" Quatre, Go!" Demetri shouted at him, then turned from him, looking towards the nearing thuds of hoof against ground.  
  
  
  
Quatre looked at her with concern, before scurrying to the house, no going inside, but sticking to the side as far as he could.  
  
  
  
Demetri stood straight, twine half stuck in her pocket, looking bravely towards the nearing creature. The hooves slowed, sensing the light ahead of it from the porch light. Demetri looked around her, wildly, then set her sights on a small bucket next to the house. She scooped it up and held it forward in one of her hands, bouncing it up and down making it's contents rattle inside. The hooves came to an immediate halt, making dust rise in the air, discoloring the stars. It sounded as if it changed directions. Maybe it wasn't heading towards them the whole time. Then the creature took two steps forward before picking up it's pace again, but this time a steady trot.  
  
  
  
Quatre watched as a wildly spotted horse stepped into the circle of light, it's head stretched towards Demetri, sniffing the air around her. Demetri clucked at it and it stuck its head deep into the bucket, obviously eating, bringing it's head up every now and then. Demetri reached out and touched its shoulder. It flinched then took a step back, but buried its head into the bucket again. Demetri touched it again, this time it did not flinch, so she patted it and smiled to herself.  
  
Quatre watched her as she dealt with the horse as if she were one herself. Soon, the food was gone, but the horse stayed, ears forward, watching Demetri. It's sides stopped heaving with deep breath and it let out steady sighs. She set down the bucket and took the twine out of her pocket. She patted the horse and spoke to it soothingly, while she constructed a makeshift halter and lead rope.  
  
Demetri sighed, triumphantly and looked back over to the house. Catching Quatre's eye, she gave him an apologetic smile. Quatre just smiled back with a nod.  
  
Demetri's younger brothers had long since returned, but her father was not there. Mrs. Roswald stepped outside the door and scolded Eos to stay inside. She smiled proudly at her daughter with a strange, yet knowing look. Demetri quickly turned from her and frowned to herself, focusing on the horse.  
  
" Nice one..." One of the boys, of whom he was introduced to as Icarus, better known as Icky, just outside the other side of the light said.  
  
" Yeah, again..." The other one, Lucky (named for his incredible luck since birth) said kind of coldly.  
  
Demetri ignored them and pet the horse, her eyes shining with something Quatre couldn't understand.  
  
Then, the scurrying of feet could be heard from out of the darkness. Mr. Roswald had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, clutching the back of another boys shirt. The boy was being shoved forward time and time again.  
  
" Alright, alright, I get it!" The boy had said, which only seemed to make Mr. Roswald angrier, his face glowing red with rage.  
  
" You did this, Leander, I know you did, you ungrateful little leech!" Mr. Roswald said, shoving the boy to the ground mere yards from Quatre. The horse shifted nervously on its back legs.  
  
" Like hell I did! You're just trying to find a better reason to throw me off your property. Even you don't half believe those conspiracy theories you like to form in you head..." The boy said, pushing himself up from the ground. Mr. Roswald looked as if he was going to explode.  
  
" Dad," Demetri said calmly, ignoring the boy on the ground, who was now sitting cross-legged, plucking up blades of grass thoughtlessly.  
  
" What!?" Mr. Roswald said, too harshly, but caught himself and corrected it. " What? What is it, dear?"  
  
" I thought you said you were going to geld him, for his own sake..." Demetri said, quietly, something strange in her voice, Quatre couldn't quite make out.  
  
" Well, dear..." Mr. Roswald seemed to calm down and looked at his oldest daughter with kind eyes. " I...well..." He looked around at the people crowded around, taking a longer look at Quatre. " We'll discuss it later. For now...put him in the arena, we'll think of something else tomorrow..."  
  
Demetri just nodded and walked back into the lightening night, tugging the horse carefully behind her. The moon had just started to appear over the mountains in the distance.  
  
Quatre watched her leave, and then realized he was still glued to the side of the small house. He pushed himself off of it and looked in what light he had. The two boys moved for Demetri to get past, so they were now in the middle of the light, looking down at the boy on the ground, suppressing laughter. Mr. Roswald shifted his eyes from the boy on the ground, who was looking quite bored with the scene and leaning on his hand, to the two standing side by side and gave them a cool glare. The boys, though still cackling, moved towards the kitchen door. Mr. Roswald glared once more at the boy, who just gave him a swift sideways glance, and proceeded to fallow the two young boys into the kitchen. Quatre looked to his right and saw Blake go back in through the door he came out of, mumbling and cursing to himself.  
  
Quatre sighed and shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Demetri to come back.  
  
" So, You my sister's boyfriend?" The boy from the ground said, pushing himself from the ground. Quatre looked over at him, able to get a better look. The boy was tall, a little taller than him. He had a clean-shaven, thin face. Strands of black hair were scattered in front of his blue eyes. His face was outlined in hair that came out of his long ponytail, which traveled all the way down his back. His hair was longer than Demetri's.  
  
" Uhh..." Quatre flushed slightly at what he said, " N-no...I'm just some guy who hit his head on a pole..."  
  
The boy laughed and pulled some hair from his face.  
  
" Sounds like someone Demetri would pick up..." The boy smiled and held out his hand. " My name is Leander, sometimes called Leo, but, please, for the love of god, call me Lee."  
  
The boy said this all in the same tone, with a straight face. Quatre hesitated first, then stuck his hand out and shook Lee's.  
  
" Yeah," Quatre said carefully, " Demetri told me about you. I'm Quatre."  
  
" Oh, so you know I'm the traitor rebel of the family?" Lee asked, pulling his hand back. He had an amused note in his tone.  
  
" Demetri doesn't think of you like that." Quatre said, suddenly.  
  
Lee looked him up and down, and then gave him a questioning look.  
  
" How long have you know my sister?"   
  
Before Quatre could answer, Demetri emerged from the shadows. It was evident she had been crying, even though she tried to hide it. This took Lee by surprise more than Quatre, but neither of them said anything.  
  
" You harassing our guest, Lee?" Demetri said, sarcastically, giving her brother a slight shove and a forced smile. Lee smiled back and patted Demetri on the head.  
  
" Nice to see you again, Dusty." Lee said with a small wink.  
  
" Dusty?" Quatre blurted out again.  
  
" Uh...people used to call me that, it was...a rodeo thing." Demetri said, looking to the side, trying to hide her expression.  
  
" She was really well known as Dusty," Lee said, " Even when the arena had been wet down and other riders were slipping, she knew how to make her horses kick up the most dirt on sharp turns. They even said that she was solely responsible for the coughing fits in the bleachers. It was so hard to keep track of her to see how her times were, because we couldn't see a thing until she came galloping out of the cloud of dust and ran past the timer. It was rather amazing." Lee chuckled and smiled, running his hand though his long hair.  
  
Quatre looked back over at Demetri. She had a painful expression on her face, but also a look of longing. She looked back at the two and gave a wide smile. Quatre shuddered at its falseness. She was really trying too hard. Lee knew it, too.  
  
" Well, I should probably get Quatre back." Demetri said, " Do you want to stay with me for a while, Lee?"  
  
" Really?" Lee asked with a genuine smile " You mean it, little sister?"  
  
Lee hugged her tightly, so that she had to pry him off of herself.   
  
" Of course," Demetri said, straightening her clothes and smoothing her hair, " You are my brother, after all."  
  
" Yeah, try telling the others that..." Lee grumbled, glaring at the door.  
  
" Come off it," Demetri said, slapping his shoulder, " Blake is still on your side, and Mom kind of is..."  
  
" Yeah, she brings me food sometimes." Lee said with a quick smile, " But not today..." He whined.  
  
" Quit whining," Demetri demanded, " I've got left over Chinese at my place you can have a go at."  
  
" Thanks!" Lee said, hugging her again, promptly getting pushed off.  
  
Lee was definitely different from the other boys in her family. He wasn't distant and quite like Blake, or rude and mischievous like Lucky or Icky had seemed. He didn't seem to fit with the family all too well. Quatre was quite certain that none of the other guys would ever try to hug anyone besides their own mother.  
  
" Well," Demetri turned to Quatre, " Let's go say goodbye to the others and get going."  
  
Quatre nodded and fallowed her to the kitchen, where the family, minus Blake and Lee, sat around the kitchen table, about to be served cobbler. They all stopped and looked up at the two, making Quatre nervous and stand back slightly.  
  
" Well, Quatre needs to get back now, so we'll be heading off." Demetri explained. " I'll see you guys tomorrow, maybe."  
  
Demetri's mom came and pulled her into a hug.  
  
" Be safe." She said, and then went back to cutting the cobbler.  
  
Eos came and hugged her sister, whining. The boys just nodded to her and she smiled back. Mr. Roswald got up and patted her on the shoulder.  
  
" Make sure you come often, now." He said, a small smile on his face.  
  
" Sure dad," Demetri smiled up at him. Then, he moved over to Quatre, holding out his hand.  
  
" I'll probably be seeing you around, boy." Mr. Roswald said, not smiling.  
  
" Uhh..." Quatre shook the mans hand to find that he had a very hard grip, " It was a...uh...pleasure meeting you and your...family, sir."  
  
The man looked at him for a second, and then patted his shoulder so hard, that Quatre had to catch himself on a wall to keep from tripping. When Mr. Roswald turned away, Quatre rubbed his hand and rolled his shoulder. Demetri smiled back at him, with an amused look on her face.  
  
" Oh," Mrs. Roswald turned back to them, " Your shoes."  
  
Quatre looked down, noticing his feet were still bare, but now dirty with blades of grass in between his toes.  
  
Mrs. Roswald opened the cupboard under the sink and took out a pair of muddy, still wet dress shoes and handed them to Quatre.  
  
" I hope they aren't real leather," Mrs. Roswald said, " I'm afraid they're ruined if they are..."  
  
" No," Quatre lied, " They'll be fine."  
  
He decided to not put the shoes on and they started to walk out again while he was still barefoot.  
  
" Wait!" Mrs. Roswald called to them. They stopped and looked at her expectantly. " Since you can't eat any Cobbler right now, you should take some with you." She said, mainly to Quatre.  
  
" Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Roswald. I'm quite full, but thank you." Quatre said, trying to fit in as many thanks as he could.  
  
The whole family seemed to look up at him, with a surprised look. Mrs. Roswald had a sorry look on her face. Quatre looked at Demetri, she smiled and raised her eyebrows at him, giving a small nod.  
  
  
  
A/N- This one was a little different from the other chapters, not to mention longer. Don't you just love Demetri's family? It's so big and different and...scary... 


	5. Change'll do you Good

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N: Horizont: I am glad you were pleasantly suprised! Thank you so much for reviewing my work. I'm not exactly the most popular author around, especially since I stuff OC's in everywhere I can^.^ Thanks again! I hope my other chapters will not disapoint.  
  
Let that be a lesson to you other readers...reviews are really appreciated! And, you get personal recognition!  
  
Change'll Do You Good  
  
Quatre smiled to himself as he watched his dirty, bare feet walk on the clean carpet of the dormitory hallway. He was carrying a plate piled with peach cobbler and covered in thin plastic wrap. He was recalling how his day took a turn for the weird. Starting with him hitting his head on a pole after hearing Brody remark on his thoughts on Quatre being in Demetri's room all night.  
  
He let out a small chuckle as he stuck his key in the lock on the door to his dormitory. He was stopped, though, when the knob turned and someone on the other side opened it. Quatre jumped slightly in surprise, then smiled at his roommate.  
  
" Oh, hello, Duo." Quatre said as Duo glared at him. Quatre didn't seem to notice and slipped past him into the room.  
  
" Hello, Quatre." Duo said in a spiteful tone, " Have fun?"  
  
Duo closed the door quite loudly, making Quatre turn around and look. He raised a brow, and then smiled.  
  
" It was unusual to say the least. I met Demetri's family after a freak accident..." Quatre said, and raised his hand to his head at the thought. He had a small gash and a large bump.  
  
" So, you've been hanging out with that girl this whole time?" Duo asked, still in a dark tone. " Forget anything?"  
  
Quatre looked at Duo questioningly, he was still glaring into Quatre. He looked down at his feet and chuckled.  
  
" Yeah, I think I left my shoes in Demetri's truck. It doesn't matter, though, they're ruined now, I'll have..." Quatre was cut off by Duo's sharp tone.  
  
" Forget ANYONE?" Duo raised his voice to emphasize.  
  
Quatre looked at him blankly again, this time deep in thought. A few tense moments passed as Duo glared at the lost Quatre.  
  
" I don't...think..." Then it dawned on him. Quatre got a horrified look on his face. " Oh shit! Duo, I am SO sorry! I totally forgot!"  
  
" I noticed." Duo murmured.  
  
" You don't understand! I...well..." Quatre's stomach sank in embarrassment, " I hit my head and was out cold for hours..." Quatre said, quickly motioning to the gash on his head.  
  
Duo blinked at the injury then smirked and eventually started laughing.  
  
" You hit your head!?" Duo said in between laughter. " What, did you get distracted by Demetri and run into a pole!?" Duo laughed harder, imagining the scene.  
  
" No..." Quatre said, but knew Duo didn't hear him. " Here, have cobbler..."  
  
Quatre handed Duo the plate, sighed and went to change his clothes.  
  
Duo stopped laughing and looked at the strange looking dish.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was Sunday morning now, a wonderful day of rest. Quatre was planning on it, but he woke up early anyways. For some reason he felt really restless and decided to make two pots of coffee, just to have something to do. He wanted someone to talk to, but Duo was still snoozing soundly.  
  
Quatre tapped his finger on the counter he was leaning against and sighed. He looked out the window and noticed that clouds were starting to gather again. The weather had only aloud them one sunny day. Quatre continued tapping his fingers and looked at his watch. It was eight o'clock. Surely there was something to do. He looked all around and almost growled in frustration before he remembered that Duo was still sleeping.  
  
Quatre poured himself another cup of coffee and started drinking it. Life suddenly seemed so...so...well, boring!  
  
He started pacing and watching his feet rub against the kitchen tile. Then, his stomach grumbled. He opened the short fridge and found the peach cobbler from the night before. Half of it was eaten, but Quatre decided it would go nicely with his cup of coffee.  
  
' When did I start getting addicted to coffee and stop drinking tea?' Quatre asked himself, then shrugged, ' Oh well...'  
  
Then, he was reminded of his new friend, Demetri. It might have been the cobbler or maybe it was the I-don't-give-a-shit-about-change attitude.   
  
Quatre smiled, thinking about her and her family. But then, he realized how little he knew about her. She was still very much a mystery to him. And, he must have been a mystery to her. There were so many things he wanted to know and to tell. Most of all, he just wanted to talk to someone right now.  
  
' Possibly,' Quatre thought, ' I want to talk to her more than others...?'  
  
He looked over at the phone. He could call her right then if he wanted to.  
  
' I don't want to intrude or seem too...forward or anything.' Quatre thought, ' But then, friends call friends a lot, don't they?'  
  
He stepped towards the phone, but then drew back.  
  
' She's probably too busy. Besides, I'll see her tomorrow. ' Quatre turned away from the phone, kind of depressed then.   
  
Then, the phone rang. Quatre turned around and glared at it. He picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.  
  
" Hello?" Quatre asked in a melancholy tone.  
  
" Oh, hey Quatre. It's Demetri. Did I call at a bad time?"   
  
Quatre smiled to himself.  
  
" No, not at all. What's up?"  
  
" Nothing really, just felt the need to have a friendly conversation."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was about a week after their phone conversation and the semester was drawing to a close. Demetri and Quatre's Monsoon break was coming up. Demetri told Quatre that she didn't like calling it Summer break, that it was much better called Monsoon break. When Quatre asked why, she explained that, in this part of the earth, there were no summer days, it just rained all the time.  
  
" It's not much of a summer without summer days, now, is it?" Demetri had pointed out.  
  
Quatre was only starting to figure out how her odd mind worked...  
  
Now, it was Friday and the last day of classes. All the tests were taken and the results were being given that day. Both Quatre and Demetri felt they did well. After all, they stayed up late practically every night studying at her place, trying to ignore Lee, who was still staying with Demetri.  
  
They were in their last class, Biology, the one they originally met each other in. All the papers were handed back when the class ended and happy students hurriedly filed out of the room. Quatre stepped down from where he had been sitting and went to where Demetri was putting up her things. He quietly laid his test down next to hers. She examined it and compared it to her own. She looked up at Quatre, questioningly.  
  
" Why is your score lower than mine?" She asked. Quatre noticed she sounded stuffy.  
  
He silently turned the page and pointed to one of the largest essay question and pointed to an angry paragraph scribbled in red.  
  
" He just had to put in one about Human and Animal instincts, didn't he?" Quatre asked, frustration highlighting his sentence.  
  
Demetri chuckled, but then sneezed.  
  
" You should have just..." She sniffed, " ...gone by the book..."  
  
Demetri pointed to a textbook on the table, which just happened to be written by their professor. Quatre narrowed his eyes on the cover text.  
  
" That shit-load of feeble minded beliefs!?" Quatre said, rather loudly.   
  
" Quatre!" Demetri warned in a hushing tone. Quatre had changed in many ways since she first came to know him. He wasn't as quiet or shy and he was certainly most comfortable around her.  
  
" No, that would be giving him what he wants. Conformation! Then he would win. Not this time, though. This time I won and I've not given in!" Quatre proclaimed, his finger in the air. A few of the passing students laughed and the professor glared in their direction. " You see? He knows he lost. I am truly victorious..."  
  
" But," Demetri laughed, " You still didn't get your best score. Nor shall you ever if you decide to keep your opinions in college."  
  
" Oh no!" Quatre gazed down at Demetri, " They've gotten you!"  
  
Demetri rolled her eyes at him and grabbed up her stuff as they started to walk out of the classroom. They walked, side-by-side, down the hall towards the exit. The floors were soggy from the constant rain, just the previous Friday. They both realized that it had been a week to the hour since they first introduced themselves and that this day was imitating that life-changing day. Neither one of them said anything about it, though.  
  
" You know," Quatre started, " They should make a play or write a book or something about the eternal struggle between professor and student. They could even use hand puppets or something..."  
  
Quatre stuffed his things in his bag and used his free hands to make little puppets. Then, he made them talk in strange, silly voices.  
  
" Ahahah, I have many degrees more than you and a book, so my opinions matter most!" " No, no! I will keep my opinions and still get through college!!" " Impossible! You must conform!" " Never!!"  
  
People in the hallways were looking at them strangely and some were laughing at the childishness of it. Demetri was laughing hard and Quatre smiled at her, happy he could make her laugh and look so happy. But, then they were interrupted by a sneezing fit from Demetri. Quatre silently kept count. One. Two. Three! Four! Five!? Five sneezes!?  
  
" Demetri, you aren't feeling well, are you?" Quatre stopped just before they got to the doors, making some students complain. He pulled Demetri in front of him to look down at her. She looked at him, but then looked away, almost like she was ashamed.  
  
" No, not really..." She said.  
  
Quatre looked at her before bringing his hand to her forehead.  
  
" Demetri, your head is burning up!" Quatre exclaimed.  
  
" Well, I'm freezing my ass off, does that even things out a little" Demetri asked, trying to laugh, but the happiness just wasn't there.  
  
Quatre winced at her dark laugh, then took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.  
  
" C'mon, you need something warm to drink." Quatre said, giving her a small shove towards the door, " You can come to my place and have coffee or something. Duo's pretty big on coffee."  
  
" But, I have to go take care of the horses." Demetri said, stopping under Quatre shove.  
  
" I really don't think you're in any condition to be doing that tough work, Demetri." Quatre said, " You should call and ask someone to do it for you. I'm sure Blake wouldn't mind."  
  
" Yeah, you're probably right," Demetri said, then smiled at Quatre, " Thanks."  
  
" No need to thank me, I enjoy always being right."  
  
A/N~ Yeah, that was a little shorter, but, oh well. Next chapter we get to examine how Duo interacts with Demetri and how Quatre interprets it. He's not jealous, is he? 


	6. Two's company

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N: Yay! Reader responsivenessism...yeah, that's not a word Supurrkitty...  
  
Poetry in Motion: Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but, it's all good. I like your GW fic, by the way, that poem always makes me cry...*sobs thinking about it*...  
  
Horizont: Thanks for reviewing yet again! I was soo happy to see reviews! I literally do a happy dance when I find out I have more reviews!  
  
I will do a special happy dance next chapter for anyone who reviews. Of course, you won't see it...but, won't you feel happy that you made someone dance?  
  
  
  
Two's Company...  
  
Quatre led Demetri down the hall towards the apartment. There were a few people scattered around that he hadn't seen in the building for a while. He could blame this on the fact that, lately, he had been getting back at late hours in the night, when normal people slept. Some people looked at him strangely. He was jacketless and soaking wet, while the girl behind him seemed to disappear under the oversized jacket.   
  
  
  
Quatre looked over at Demetri, worried. She had been rather quiet all the way there. Her face was pale, her nose was red, and she kept her head down. Her hair was still tied back, but it was soggy and jostled about. Quatre would never say she wasn't beautiful, but he had seen her look much better.  
  
They reached the door and Quatre realized that he had left his keys in the car. He mumbled a curse in Arabic, and then knocked on the door, loudly. A voice was heard on the other side, telling them to hold on, then a clanking of a pair of locks, fallowed by the turning doorknob. The door opened and Duo greeted the odd pair. He raised an eyebrow at Quatre.  
  
" With this kind of weather, you should really consider buying yourself an umbrella." Duo laughed, then looked to the left of Quatre. Demetri was barely visible from behind him, but highly noticeable in his jacket. " Quatre, the landlord said there's no pets aloud..." He winked at Demetri, " No matter how cute."  
  
" Duo," Quatre said, slightly peeved and giving Duo a stern look, " This is Demetri. She's pretty sick, so I brought her over."  
  
Quatre pushed past him through the door and told Demetri to come in, pretty much ignoring Duo after that.  
  
" Oh." Duo said, closing the door behind them.  
  
Quatre led Demetri to the couch and told her to make herself comfortable and he'd get some coffee.  
  
Duo plopped down in a chair in front of her and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.  
  
" So, what's a gal like you doing in a pad like this?" He asked, a spark in his voice. Demetri smiled.  
  
" Duo," Quatre stopped before going to get coffee, " Be nice."  
  
Duo leaned back in the chair, slouching as he watched Quatre walk out of the room.  
  
" I was being nice." Duo mumbled after he left. Demetri smiled again.   
  
Duo noticed her smile and examined her for the first time. He leaned forward again and smiled at her.  
  
" You talk?" Duo asked, " I know Quatre likes to make friends with people that don't talk much. I think it makes him feel like the things he says are more interesting."  
  
" I talk," Demetri said, bluntly.  
  
" Do you form sentences?" Duo asked.  
  
" Yes." Demetri answered, but Duo just smiled back.  
  
" Then, answer me this..." Duo started.  
  
Demetri was expecting to get some sort of intellectual question or something trying of her grammatical skills.  
  
" Do chicks really dig Quatre's sensitive guy act, or would they rather go for a smart-ass bad-boy, like...*cough* myself?" Duo asked, stroking his chin for affect. " Or is it all looks? In which case it's no contest."  
  
Demetri blinked at him, then let out a small laugh.  
  
" No, I mean it." Duo said, trying to sound serious.  
  
" Well, Duo," Demetri smiled at him, " I really think that depends on the 'chick'. On first appearances, many girls would go for the 'bad-ass'. Let's call him guy A and we'll call the 'sensitive' one guy B"  
  
Duo made a sound of satisfaction.  
  
" But that might only last for a little while, until that girl gets to know that guy." Demetri added.  
  
" What's that supposed to mean?" Duo asked, agitation in his voice.  
  
" Don't get me wrong, I believe certain people are meant for certain people, but you have to get to know them. Relationships can't be based on looks and reputation." Demetri said. " Lots of women don't even know what they want. They search for...uh...how should I put this? ...They search for a trophy, usually guy A, they date on first impressions, and then they are disappointed when they demand a change from that side, based on their needs. Or, in worst-case, they think they're in love and are used. Those never end well..."  
  
" You sound rather knowledgeable." Duo crossed his legs in the chair.  
  
" Well..." Demetri smiled weakly, " I've had my share of experience."  
  
" Okay..." Duo said, folding his arms behind his head, " So, if things go like that, do you think anyone will ever be happy?"  
  
" Oh yes, of course!" Demetri brightened, " It's destiny! I believe that some women never go through something like that and others learn from their mistakes. Men also learn from similar mistakes. They're all different and can't always be labeled as A or B."  
  
" So?" Duo asked, " Which do chicks dig more? A or B?"  
  
" Both," Demetri smiled, " Both are equal. Usually, guy B will try to get to know the girl first, and she'll try to get to know him and things might work out. On the other side, guy A might go through more women and if there's a certain spark, he'll want to get to know her, and she'll respond accordingly. You see, they both have an equal chance for love."  
  
" Well, that certainly takes all the fun out of it." Duo said, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
" The key is just to get to know that other person, even as a friend," Demetri picked at a thread in the couch as she spoke. " You don't have to expect anything out of them and you don't have to rush. Getting to know them and just seeing them should make you happy."  
  
Duo looked at Demetri, and then smiled widely.  
  
" Hey, how'd Quatre get to know a cool chick like you?" Duo asked.  
  
Demetri blushed slightly and tugged at the sleeve of Quatre's jacket that she was wearing.  
  
" He's just lucky I guess." Demetri said, burying herself deeper in the jacket.  
  
" How about you get to know me and I get to know you?" Duo said with a sly grin on his face.  
  
Demetri looked up at him, eyes wide and mouth shut. There was a cough in the room towards the kitchen entrance. Both Duo and Demetri looked over to where the sound was. Quatre was walking towards them with coffee cups in his hands. He handed one to Demetri almost shoved one at Duo and took one for himself. He sat down on the couch next to Demetri and smiled at her.  
  
" I hope Duo's not giving you too much trouble." Quatre said to her, setting his cup on the table. Demetri gladly sipped at her cup and held it in her hands, just happy for the warmth of the liquid.  
  
" Oh no, not at all. Actually, me and him were just talking." Demetri said, holding the cup close to her face and feeling the vapors soothe her cold skin.  
  
" Yeah, he tends to do that a lot." Quatre said, quietly.  
  
" Hello. I'm right here." Duo said, snapping his fingers. " Don't talk like I'm not around."  
  
" Sorry." Demetri said  
  
" Oh no, not you Demetri. I was talking to guy B." Duo said.  
  
Both him and Demetri laughed together. Quatre blinked in confusion, then sighed in frustration. They must have talked a lot when he was getting the coffee ready. He didn't like the feeling of being left out of something that had to do with these two. He especially didn't like the feeling of these two getting along so well.  
  
' And, how did Duo cheer her up so easily!?' Quatre thought angrily, ' It takes a lot for me to make her laugh like that, especially after that dark mood she was in earlier.'  
  
" Duo, I'm sure you know there's more to Quatre than just Guy B." Demetri said kindly.  
  
Quatre looked over at Demetri, who was now smiling at him, and his spirits lifted again. This smile wasn't for Duo, it was for him. But, the moment was interrupted by another sneezing fit from Demetri. Quatre silently kept count. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six! Six sneezes! That was one more!!  
  
" Wow, that's the most sneezes I've ever heard in one fit." Duo said, surprised, " You must be really sick..."  
  
Quatre glanced at Duo from the corner of his eye, but then focused his attention on Demetri. Her head was still down and her eyes were closed. Quatre heard her sniff so he grabbed a tissue box and handed her a few tissues. She took them, but her face was still half hidden in...  
  
" Quatre..." Demetri said, weakly after wiping her nose.  
  
" Wh-what? What's wrong?" Quatre asked, concerned.  
  
" I'm sorry, but..." She took off Quatre jacket and held it in front of her, " Your jacket...I...uh...sneezed in your jacket..."  
  
Quatre saw her eyes shine with tears. He wasn't sure if it was from the sneezing or the build-up to that situation. He smiled sympathetically at her and took the jacket from her hands, not bothering to look at it.  
  
" That's alright, Demetri. If you wanted to use my jacket as a tissue, I would gladly let you." Quatre said, setting the jacket on the table in front of him. Duo jumped back from it a little.  
  
  
  
Demetri smiled back at Quatre her eyes watering more. She looked like she would burst into tears at any moment.  
  
The whole room seemed to jump when the silence was interrupted by a loud crash of thunder, fallowed by the lights diminishing. They sat in silence for a few seconds in shock.  
  
" Well, that was interesting." Duo said as their eyes started to adapt to the unfriendly dark.  
  
Quatre shot him a glare, knowing that no one would be able to see it. He listened for any noise from Demetri. She let out a small chuckle and sigh.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Some time later, they had found some candles and flashlights and were entertaining themselves quite nicely. They exchanged some stories, no one talking about the war or the Gundams. Demetri told in-depth stories about her experiences with horses and the rodeo. Some were very amusing, and some were about frightening situations. They told some jokes and even poked fun at some college issues, mainly professors.   
  
' I guess it makes sense that the three of us get along, ' Quatre thought as they talked, ' I mean, we're all friends.'  
  
" So, what're you boys gunna do for a vacation this summer?" Demetri asked, curled up at the end of the couch.  
  
" I'm not sure," Quatre said, " I'm going to be pretty busy with business this summer."  
  
" Oh yeah, Winner corp., right?" Demetri asked, " So, you're still the head of that? I thought, since you were going to school, surely you'd given up your position."  
  
" You told her?" Duo asked looking at Quatre, " Hey, she could be playing you up for money."  
  
" What? No!" Quatre said in Demetri's defense, " I never told her. And, Demetri would never do that!"  
  
" Whoa, sorry!" Duo held his hands up, " I was just pulling your leg! I know she wouldn't do anything like that."  
  
Demetri looked over at Quatre, shocked. He relaxed and leaned back, rubbing his forehead.  
  
" A little protective, maybe?" Duo asked, jokingly.  
  
Quatre gave Duo a small glare.  
  
" Quatre..." Demetri said softly, " Don't worry, I'm not offended or anything. You should relax."  
  
Quatre smiled at her reassuringly as well as gratefully.  
  
" Say! I have an idea!" Duo said, jumping up. " Why don't the three of us go do something this summer?"  
  
" That's a great idea, Duo." Demetri responded, excitement in her voice, making Quatre smile more. " We can set aside a week and go somewhere. I'm sure I'll be able to get someone to cover for me at the stables."  
  
" I know the best place, too." Quatre said " I have a nice place up north."  
  
" Maybe we could invite the other guys, too." Duo suggested.  
  
" Duo, if you can track them down, they're welcome to come. I wouldn't bet on it, though." Quatre put in, " They've been out of touch for a while now."  
  
" Other guys?" Demetri asked, puzzled.  
  
" Oh...uh..." Duo looked over at Duo, who looked from Duo to Demetri.  
  
" Just some friends from High school." Quatre answered.  
  
" Oh." Demetri rubbed her eyes, tiredly, " I thought for sure you'd have private schooling, Quatre."  
  
" Well, no, I wanted to go to a regular school." Quatre lied. He did have private schooling.  
  
" That's cool..." Demetri said, yawning.   
  
Quatre could tell she was really tired, and, sure enough, she was asleep about five minutes later.  
  
" That girl read my mind." Duo said in between yawns " I'm gonna head off to bed."  
  
Duo waved as he left the room. Quatre was slightly confused as to why everyone was going to sleep so early. Then, he looked at his watch and almost gasped. It was almost eleven at night and it had been a tiring day. How did so much time pass?  
  
He sighed and stood up from his spot next to Demetri, taking off his watch. He looked at the girl sleeping on his couch and smiled. There was so much about that girl...  
  
The phone rang, startling Quatre from looking at Demetri. He went to answer it and was greeted by a familiar male voice.  
  
" Hey, Quatre. I lost Demetri, do you know where she is?" Lee asked, worried.  
  
" Yeah, she's over at my place right now. She wasn't feeling at all well today." Quatre said. Lee let out a sigh of relief.  
  
" I'm glad she's safe. She's been kind of out of it for the last few days and I kept calling her cell, but no one answered..."  
  
Quatre remembered that Demetri left all her stuff in his car.  
  
" Does she need a ride home?" Lee asked.  
  
" Oh, uh, no." Quatre said, " She's asleep on my couch right now. I think it'd be best if she gets her rest. She should be okay to stay here tonight. Besides, it's pouring outside and all the lights are out."  
  
" Okay then, but keep an eye on her for me. I have a feeling she's been holding this back for a while now." Lee said, which made Quatre think.  
  
" What, her illness?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Err...yeah, that too. Talk to you later." Lee said and hung up before Quatre could question any further.  
  
Quatre hung up the phone, confused. He walked back into the front room. He looked at the little ball of Demetri on the couch and went to get a woven blanket. He came back and draped it over her still form. He thought she had dried off all the way, but her face seemed to be dripping with water. It didn't take long for him to realize that she was crying in her sleep. He looked at her face and brushed some hair away.  
  
' 'she's been holding this back for a while now.' ' Quatre remembered what Lee had said on the phone. Now he thought he understood just what that meant. ' But, I can't help her unless she wants me to. There's nothing I can do right now...'  
  
Quatre stepped away from her and picked up the, now empty, coffee cups. He discarded them in the kitchen sink, and then examined himself. He had taken off his shoes and socks long ago, but his pants and shirt were still wet. He slipped the shirt over his head and set it down on a chair. He'd rather go shirtless than have that soggy material on his skin. He went back in the front room and started to put out the candles.   
  
He took a long look at Demetri before putting out the last one.  
  
A/N- Shirtless Quatre *sigh*...I couldn't help myself...  
  
There will be horses in the next chappie, having to do with Demetri's fears and her confidence. Yay! 


	7. Confide nce

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N:  
  
Horisont(): Enlightening, eh? I'm glad you think so, that's often a tough question and there's often no answer to it. I also did that a little to show Demetri's feeling about relationships, give insight to her past relationships and also to ones she hopes for...  
  
EclipseAzNGTX: Guh...yee...wow, I never though anyone really read my stories that much. I very much appreciate every single review I get. Even if I got loads of reviews, I would go through and appreciate every single last one. You're a very good confidence booster, by the way...  
  
Oh yeah...*does two happy dances* Thank you for making me dance! I do love those amusing looks my siblings get on their faces! ^.^  
  
Confide(nce)  
  
Her hands were so tight on the reins, they broke out in an itchy sweat. Her saddle seat seemed harder than ever and her posture was stiff. She forced her self to relax as she pulled her mare around one last time. Those barrels were taunting her, daring her to make her best run. Normally, she would have gladly taken that challenge, but this time, she hesitated. Something didn't seem right. But, she leaned forward and gave her horse the lead, anyways. With a click of her heals, the pair was off like a flash.  
  
They were eating up the distance between the timer and the first barrel, when Demetri first noticed it. The arena was slightly damper than she was used to. And she was used to just about every type of arena. She then realized that she was the first one to ride after they wet down the arena. But, these were professionals. There was no way they would make such a miscalculation.  
  
They reached the first barrel and Demetri took the reins in her right hand and pulled hard to the right to circle the barrel. She saw a small flash from the corner of her eye. A picture had been taken of them making the turn. The turn didn't kick up any dust, an act that had earned Demetri her name. She also felt Lady slide a little, making her stretch out to keep her footing. Demetri had come so close to the barrel that she touched it with her foot and thought for sure she'd knock it over. But, they cleared it and bounded for the next one.  
  
But then, Demetri realized why they had not kicked up any dust...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The power came back suddenly, all the lights turned back on and the room filled with noises. They were noises that would normally go unnoticed if they had not become accustom to the complete silence.  
  
  
  
Demetri woke quickly, startled at having her dream interrupted. She shot her head around, looking for something. She had no idea what, but she had to find it even if her life depended on it. She made herself calm down and caught her breath.  
  
  
  
Demetri looked down at the blanket on her and smiled. She pulled it up to her face and hugged it tight. She breathed it's warmth, taking in the scent it held. It was soothing and familiar to her. She realized that this was what Quatre's jacket had smelled like. She didn't know he smelt so good.  
  
" Are you okay?" Demetri jumped at the voice then looked towards it's owner.  
  
Quatre was sitting across from her in the chair that Duo had been sitting in the night before. He looked like he had just woken up and his shirt was missing. Had he been sleeping there all night? Demetri felt her face grow warmer, but stopped herself by smiling at him.  
  
" Yeah, I'm fine." Demetri said, " I was just surprised..."  
  
Demetri rubbed her eyes, mainly to keep from looking at Quatre.  
  
" How are you feeling?" Quatre asked, " You look...uncomfortable...is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
Demetri brought her hand to her forehead. She hadn't noticed that she had been sweating and that faint blush was probably the only thing that kept from looking pale as a cadaver. But, she was feeling much better than the day before, besides the groggy, dirty feeling she had from sleeping in her clothes.  
  
" I...I'm fine..." she said, wiping the sweat off her forehead and looking down at the blanket, " I just had a...a bad dream, that's all..."  
  
" It must have been pretty bad," Quatre said, " Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
" Uh..." Demetri looked up at Quatre, surprised. " N-no, that's okay...I get that dream a lot..."  
  
" Morning guys!" Duo said, coming out of his room with just his boxers on.  
  
" Good morning, Duo." Demetri answered back, happy that he had interrupted the uncomfortable situation between her and Quatre.  
  
Quatre mumbled his greeting and stood up.  
  
" I'll go make some more coffee." Quatre said, leaving the room.  
  
" Did I say something that I shouldn't have?" Duo asked Demetri after Quatre left.   
  
" Uh, no, I don't think so..." Demetri said, looking in the direction that Quatre left in. She too was confused by Quatre's behavior. Had SHE done something wrong or offensive?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Quatre spoke to neither Demetri nor Duo much. He seemed to draw back from both of them. He had been kind of hurt when Demetri drew back from him and avoided conversation with him. What was worse, she used Duo to avoid him.  
  
Now, he had dropped her off at her truck, still at the university, and he didn't head home from there. He needed to drive a little to think things through.   
  
Demetri watched Quatre drive off and sighed, close to tears. There was something bothering him and she was sure it was her. She told Quatre that she was going to be at the stables most of the day, but he did no more than acknowledge her speaking before he drove off.  
  
Demetri shook her head before getting in her truck and driving towards the stables. When she arrived, she was shocked to see all of her brothers and her father. Of course, Lee was standing far from them, almost lost in a row of stalls. Demetri jumped out of her truck and walked over to the group that included her father. She was disgusted to find out that Brody was conversing with her dad. She decided to talk to one of her brothers. She settled on Blake.  
  
" Blake, what's going on here?" Demetri asked.  
  
" Oh, hey Demetri. We didn't expect you to come this morning." Blake said.  
  
" Okay, so why are you all here without me knowing?" Demetri asked, annoyed.  
  
" Demetri!" Her Father interrupted before Blake could answer. Demetri sighed angrily and turned towards her dad.  
  
" Dad, what are you all doing here?" Demetri demanded. Brody smiled at her and she glared in response.  
  
" Oh well, it was going to be a surprise, but..." Her father pointed to behind her.  
  
She turned around and saw their farm truck and trailer and, tied nearby was...  
  
" Daddy, you didn't..." Demetri mumbled, a dark disbelief in her voice.  
  
" You still expressed interest in the colt and his running season is coming up. I figured you wanted to finish his training. You did start his training and he is your...mare's only offspring and all..." He trailed off.  
  
Demetri walked over to the horse tied nearby. She pat his neck and spoke softly to him. He was the same horse that she had calmed down the night Quatre met her family.  
  
" Dad, I can't finish training Clover and I definitely can't bring him into his running season." Demetri was practically pleading with him.  
  
" Well, we'll talk more about it later. You should think about it some more." Her father said, turning away. " Either way, he's going to stay here. If you don't train and ride him, then Brody and Lucky are going to train him for roping and he'll start his season in the fall."  
  
" Brody?" Demetri hurried in front of her father and stopped him from moving further, " How can you let that scum even touch one of our horses!?" She said, harshly.  
  
" Young lady, you might be twenty, but you will still not talk to me that way and you will respect my decisions." Her father stated, " Now, if you are willing to take responsibility for him, I will pass his papers over to you, but otherwise, he's still the farm's property and Lucky's roping horse."  
  
Demetri bit her bottom lip and looked away. How COULD her father do something like that? How could he threaten her with Brody!? How could he hurt her like that!? But then she reminded herself that her father didn't know how hurt she would be. He didn't know why she hated Brody as much as she loved horses...he didn't know...  
  
" Wait!" Demetri cried out to her father, who had moved towards leaving while she thought. She ran after him and smiled weakly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. " Dad, dad, I'll do it. I'll take Clover, I'll train him, and, god forbid, I'll even run him this season...I just..." She didn't finish, but looked away.  
  
" That's my girl." Her father said, patting her shoulder, " That colt will get you back in the game in no time. It's in his blood to run. Oh, and don't worry about board, we'll pay..."   
  
He gave her a quick hug before him and two of her brothers took off in a truck.  
  
" 'In his blood'?..." Demetri muttered in disgust.   
  
Blake tapped her shoulder and she turned around, shocked.  
  
" Where would you like me to put him?" He asked, holding the stallions lead rope in his right hand, the horse on the other end.  
  
" Oh, uh, there's a stall right next to Strider's that's been open for a while. Here, I'll take you to it..." She started to lead him down a row of stalls.  
  
" Strider? Oh, is it that range horse you bought for three hundred?" Blake asked, slightly amused.  
  
" Yes." Demetri glared at him, " He was only three months at the time, taken from his mother, couldn't even touch 'im, but he's under saddle now, almost three years. He turned into quite the horse. I think he's got some thoroughbred in him, but he's mostly Quarter horse."  
  
" Brody keeps calling him a range rat." Blake mumbled.  
  
" Brody doesn't know anything." Demetri stated, " He buys expensive horses, ignores them until they're sour and then whips them to work."  
  
The got to the stall and put Clover in. He was an interesting contrast to Strider. Strider was a reddish bay with a black mane, Clover was a black and white appaloosa with a white mane. Spots were scattered here and there on Clover, but he was mainly white. Clover had a small, short, halter-bred head with big cheeks, a curved throat latch and small, wild eyes. Strider had a big, long head with big cheeks, a muscular neck and dark, wise-looking eyes. Clover's mane was short and kept, while Strider's was grown, yet straight. Clover's tail was long and wavy from braiding, while Strider's was long and straight. Clover was a stout, muscular horse with a square rear end. Strider was tall and leggy, but his rear was muscular and rounded. He looked as if he could spring into a graceful action at any moment.  
  
" Well, sis, looks like you're raising yourself a regular English horse." Blake said, examining the Gelding.  
  
" You think so?" Demetri leaned against the bars, staring lovingly at the bay. " Remember all that Hunter/Jumper practice I used to do? I never got very serious about it, but I think I want to use him to do just that. It's more for him than me, though. He wants to be known. He knows that people are biased about his lack of breeding and he wants to prove what a three hundred dollar horse is really worth."  
  
" You've kept him up all right, but do you really think he stands a chance against all those thoroughbreds?" Blake asked, slightly amused.  
  
" Look," Demetri motioned to Strider's feet, " Look how he stands. It's like he's going to just jump over these bars and run away. Hell, he'd be racing now if I could make it so he could, but I'm saving him. He knows he's going to be something big, he craves it. He's ready to go."  
  
The gelding nickered and walked over as if he understood. He nuzzled Demetri's forehead, then moved towards the gate and nickered again.  
  
" No," Demetri laughed at Strider, " Not till next year, boy. Yer too young yet."  
  
" Demetri." A male voice that wasn't Blake's came from behind. She turned around to come face to face with Brody. A little too close for her comfort. He smiled at her, which disgusted Demetri. " I hope you're feeling better. I need you to ride some of the horses. I won't be able to do it. I already talked to my father."  
  
" What?" Demetri blinked, " I hope your father's going to give me the trainer's fee for those horses, then."  
  
" Oh, don't worry, you'll get what's yours." Brody said as he slipped away to, Demetri assumed, his truck.  
  
" Why am I not convinced?" Demetri asked Blake, who laughed in return.  
  
But, she did it anyways, since she didn't want to get fired from her job. But, as she rummaged through the tack room, she had sinking feeling in her stomach. A feeling of impending doom. Was she afraid to ride? She tried to shake off this feeling as she dragged a saddle, pad, and bridle and bit out and placed them on the hitching post. Blake came with a Black mare that Brody usually rode in the show ring. She had a white face and a long white stocking up her front right leg.  
  
Demetri saddled her up and slipped the bit into her mouth. They started to walk the horse towards the arena. Demetri looked to the road, hoping that a car would come into the drive. She felt scared that Quatre wouldn't want to see her again, and, right then, she felt like she needed him the most. She needed his support when she rode. She could get advice from anyone she stopped in the stables if she wanted to, but only Quatre could help her with her emotions...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Quatre drove around for a while until he got into the farm country. There were fields all around and small, old houses. It was a huge change from all of the colonies. He pulled off into the dirt next to a large field of alfalfa. He got out and leaned against the side of the car, looking out across the field.  
  
' I have no right to be mad at her...' Quatre finally decided, ' I'm sure she wasn't comfortable with talking to me right after she experienced a terrifying dream. Besides, how am I helping her right now? If I know her, she's worried about upsetting me and worse off than she was before.'  
  
' She needs my support...' Quatre suddenly had the feeling that he needed to go to her now. He wasn't mad at anyone but himself now. He needed to apologize.  
  
Moving quickly, he got back in the car and turned around, heading for the stables.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Demetri examined the arena and kicked at some dirt and watched it go in the air as dust. She looked to just outside of the arena. Lee was bringing Clover over, saddled up. He had agreed to riding him for Demetri, since she wouldn't have time. She was kept too busy with the stable horses that Brody should have been exercising.  
  
" If dad saw that, he'd go nuts at both Lee and you." Blake smirked at Demetri from the rails of the arena.  
  
" I know..." Demetri said as she watched Clover and Lee enter the arena. She stared at the horse next to her and sighed.  
  
" You gonna ride or what?" Blake asked.  
  
" Yeah." Demetri said and, in one swift move, she brought herself onto the horses back. She gently sat on the saddle, but the horse fidgeted at the oddness of having another creature on it's back. Just how broke was this horse, Demetri wondered and begged more in her mind for Quatre to be there.  
  
' Maybe she's just reacting to my nerves,' Demetri thought.   
  
She walked the horse around the arena and watched Lee jump on Clover. The stallion made to take off at a mad gallop, but Lee never gave him a chance and reined him into a lively walk, some paces behind Demetri. Lee worked pretty good with the horse, Demetri decided, much better than she ever had.  
  
Demetri continued to walk the horse around until she figured she had to pick up the pace. She brought the mare to a medium trot and forced herself to have a perfect seat. Her stomach tightened again and she got shivers up her spine.   
  
Suddenly, the mare threw her head and shifted on her back legs, then took off. Demetri almost panicked, but managed to pull her back down to her trot. Demetri's heart was racing and she looked around her. Lee was busy with Clover, but Blake blinked at Demetri, then looked away. He must have thought Demetri had lost her touch. If only he had seen her riding Strider, he would think rather otherwise.  
  
' I need to get my confidence back...' Demetri thought as she dreaded the lope. ' I wish Quatre was here.'  
  
Then, as if on cue, the blonde came into sight from behind the bleachers. Demetri was surprised and her heart gave a jolt. The mare must have sensed it, because she took off at a bucking run.  
  
A/N:  
  
Hmm, I guess that was sort of a cliff-hanger...hmm...   
  
*does a happy dance* Man, I just can't stop myself!  
  
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.  
  
Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)  
  
Keep that in mind all...^.^ ^.^ ^.^ ^.^ 


	8. What was then, what will be

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N: Sorry, this one wasn't done as quick as the others, I've been busy w/animals and actually started two other stories. Kind of stupid of me, since I'm starting to take more classes in a week...  
  
Anyways,  
  
Horisont:Thank you soooo much for reviewing every time I update! That's just really amazing to me!  
  
You think my last chapter had story development, wait till you read this one!  
  
What was then, what will be  
  
The mare was away at a frightening run. Demetri felt her heart pound and her arms go weak, as if there were nothing she could do about what was happening. Then, it went from bad to worse as the mare stopped, then buck straight into the air, coming down on her front legs and kicking up. Demetri lifted from her seat and almost went flying off, but came to her senses in time. She held herself in the stirrups and pulled the reins to the side. The mare side-stepped and sun-fished, trying to get the rider off of her back, but Demetri kept her balance and stayed on, confident this horse would not get the best of her.  
  
Stillness seemed to creep over the rest of the arena as Demetri fought to calm the horse. Lee stopped Clover in his exercise and the team stood ready, willing to go in and help at any moment. Blake jumped down from his perch on the rails and took off his hat. He watched every move the horse and girl made, mumbling orders to himself.  
  
" No, Demetri, get your seat...don't let her do this, you're better than that!" Blake was saying, " Good, good...Just yank that bags head around...yeah..."  
  
Quatre, on the other hand, was reacting quite differently. He stood in front of the arena, still, as if his feet were cemented to the ground. His chest filled with a growing fear, stopping his breathing. It was as if her were drowning, stuck to the bottom of the ocean. He could not yell out to her. Then, terrible thoughts began to run through his head. What if something happened to her, what if he couldn't apologize? What if...?  
  
Demetri growled as she put her weight into turning the horse to the right. The horse stopped bucking and started galloping in that direction. Demetri smirked to herself as she worked on slowing the horse down. Soon enough, she had the mare back down to a trot and under her control. She smiled and waved over towards Quatre.  
  
Quatre thought he was going to melt in relief. Now, he felt jumpy and was finally able to move. He walked to the rails and leaned against them.  
  
" I wonder what set that horse off?" Blake asked out loud, backing up to the rails. He turned around and looked at Quatre, surprised. " How long have you been here?"  
  
" I uh... I just..." Quatre mumbled.  
  
" Wonder if that's what spooked the filly..." Blake said to himself.  
  
Quatre's heart sank. Had he caused Demetri to be in such danger? The thought sent a shiver up his spine.  
  
Demetri cooled down the mare and rode her out of the arena. She brought her to the hitch and un-tacked her. Then, she brought the mare to the wash rack and sprayed her down. The horse appreciated this and neither party seemed to be bitter about the earlier event.  
  
Quatre stayed back from both of them and watched as Demetri walked the horse till she was almost dry. It amazed him how Demetri acted around this horse even after she had such a scare. He watched Demetri talk to Blake and Lee and they agreed to exercise the rest of the horses for her.  
  
' I guess that did shake her up a little,' Quatre thought to himself, watching her put the mare in a turnout area. She stayed behind and watched the mare greet other horses, trotting around, sometimes biting, and then rolling on the ground.  
  
Quatre walked closer to her until he was just a few feet away, then, something made him stop. Demetri was trembling and he noticed her hands were tight around one of the poles of the fence. Then her head dropped down, her forehead resting on the pole. Her trembling seemed to get worse and Quatre heard her take in short, sharp, breathes, and then heard them come out through trembling lips.  
  
Quatre stepped forward and reached towards Demetri, concerned.  
  
" Demetri...?" Quatre asked, quietly.  
  
Demetri jumped a little and was still for a few seconds. Then, to Quatre's surprise, she turned around and faced him, looking up at him with red eyes. She looked so weak and was trembling so much, Quatre was sure she was going to fall over. Acting on impulse, he stepped forward and took Demetri in his arms. Feeling her small form tremble, he held her firm against himself. Demetri buried her face in his chest and let her tears fall freely now. Her hands were in fists, clutching at the back of Quatre's shirt.  
  
" I'm so sorry, Demetri..." Quatre whispered.  
  
Demetri merely shook her head in Quatre's chest, but Quatre had no intentions of arguing. A few moments later, she pulled herself away from Quatre and smiled up at him.  
  
" I guess...I've kinda lost my touch..." Demetri said, quietly.  
  
" No, not at all." Quatre protested, " Your brother thought you did great stopping that horse. It certainly shook me up..."  
  
" No," Demetri shook her head, " I shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place... I've just become...more jumpy and scared...since...since Lady died..."  
  
Demetri stayed silent. Quatre finally spoke up after a while.  
  
" Would you like to talk about it now?" Quatre asked, cautiously.  
  
" I think I need to..." Demetri said, nodding, " But...could we go somewhere? Somewhere I haven't been in a while?"  
  
Quatre studied her face, a little confused about her request, but he smiled and nodded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" I remember that day more and more vividly as time goes on. I tried to forget it, but I suppose, that's not what's truly meant to be.  
  
  
  
I had been training so hard for that one day, for that one run, for my one moment in the spot light. Lady, the mare I had raised and trained, was with me the whole way. We had done so much competing that year; I think the poor mare was getting bored. She certainly didn't enjoy the excitement like she used to. I got too focused on winning to enjoy it, too. And, I didn't appreciate the work Lady did for me as much as I should have. I had taken her for granted. But, still, she was the thing I treasured most in the world. I was a miserable child that year, to say the least. My brothers could tell you that.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay driving this truck?" Demetri asked suddenly, looking over at Quatre steering her truck down the deserted road. They had been driving for about two hours, so the question was sort of irrelevant.  
  
" Yeah, I can handle it," Quatre said, looking down the road, there was farmland on both sides of them. He had never seen this part before, it was so rare to find anymore. " Go ahead and continue."  
  
  
  
" Well, alright...where was I...?  
  
Our hard work paid off and our day finally came to prove ourselves. We got ready hours before our run and just waited. I regret that I spent more time worrying about our run, rather than spending with my horse. Our run was up and I entered the arena on my horse. I should have noticed then how damp the arena was, but I was too focused on winning. I didn't notice that they wet it down just before my run until it was too late. We went to the first barrel and slipped. I didn't realize just how bad that slip was, though. We slid in three inches of mud. I realized that it was all mud right before we got to the second barrel and it was too late.  
  
  
  
I pulled her to the right just before we got there, not realizing that this was worse than taking the turn on the barrel. We slipped mid-turn, her rear feet going one way and her front feet the other. She fell on me and the saddle horn caught my leg. It was a moment of excruciating pain that I'll never forget. It was only a few seconds before she got off me, but it felt like forever. I went blank for a while and when I could see again, there was a medic standing over me. They always stand by at rodeos. He was asking me questions and I could only nod my responses. I blacked out again, and then woke up as they were taking me out of the arena on a stretcher, since the ground was too muddy. I heard shrieking and squealing, that would make the most adept vet cringe in pity. All this was over the yells and movement of the crowd. Then, a shot rang out and everything else went quite. That was when I blacked out again..."  
  
" Quatre, you need to turn right here..." Demetri said in a choky voice. Quatre didn't have to look over to tell that she was crying. He hesitated before making a right turn onto a dirt road.  
  
"...I...I found out later that Lady had broken her back legs and fractured her back. There was no way they could have saved her, so they put her out of her pain. They shot her right in the middle of the arena, in front of everyone. There were pictures everywhere after that...it was like a big nightmare, but...it never went away...I never woke up..."  
  
Demetri leaned her head against the window, looking out at the farmland beside the dusty road. Quatre looked over at her. She stopped crying and she had a dark expression. It wasn't at all like the bright person he met that strange day. It wasn't like her to just give in and let the world turn away from her.   
  
Just then, Quatre remembered something from that first day he met her.  
  
//" You never answered me earlier, Quatre," Demetri said, smiling at Quatre. " About your dreams."  
  
" My dreams?" Quatre blinked at her, " haven't you given up on me with that yet? I really don't have any direction in my life. I don't have any dreams."  
  
" No, I know you do." Demetri said, shocking Quatre, " You strive to be more than you are."  
  
" That's only human," Quatre said, kind of irritated " It's normal for anyone to want to be their best."  
  
" Anyone with a dream, " Demetri corrected, " what do you want to be your best for, if not for your dreams?"  
  
" You are a strange girl." Quatre said shaking his head.  
  
" You are a dreamer, Quatre, a deep dreamer. I know this, just from meeting you today. The stars aren't just balls of burning gas, are they? The rain isn't just a product of precipitation. And the mind is not just a computer constantly seeking knowledge." Demetri said and then smiled widely, " If you had no dreams, then you wouldn't have bothered to stick up for me today like you did."  
  
" You have an odd sort of point there, Demetri." Quatre laughed.  
  
" Well then, would you mind telling me your dreams?" Demetri asked, pleadingly.  
  
" I'll have to get back to you on that, okay?" Quatre smiled.  
  
" Fine..." Demetri crossed her arms and gave up. //  
  
She had made him think after that. She made him think whenever he was around her. Now, he associated Demetri with his dreams, she was a part of his dreams.  
  
" Demetri, " Quatre said, firmly, making Demetri look over at him, " What are your dreams?"  
  
" Quatre...I..." Demetri stumbled to answer the all too familiar question, " I don't dream anymore. I don't have any dreams..."  
  
" And why not? You had dreams when I first met you." Quatre said.  
  
" I had lost my dreams and was hopefully looking for more." Demetri protested, " But I've decided it's not worth it..."  
  
" Nope, you still have dreams. I know." Quatre said, confidently, " You try to be more than you can. And what do you want to be your best for, if not for your dreams?"  
  
Demetri stayed silent and stared at Quatre. But, after a short while, a smile crept onto her face.  
  
" You are a deep dreamer. I know from knowing you all this time. The stars aren't just balls of burning gas. The rain isn't just a product of precipitation. The mind isn't just a computer constantly seeking knowledge. A horse isn't just a tool to win. Guy B isn't just Guy B." Quatre said, and then chuckled. Demetri also laughed slightly.  
  
" Okay, Guy B, you win..." Demetri said with a smile, " I guess I still dream, I just need to figure out why."  
  
" Well, until you find that out...just..." Quatre cleared his throat, " just dream for me... or, at least say you are. Whatever will make you keep dreaming, because I need that dreamer to remind me to dream."  
  
Demetri smiled and laughed as they came up over a small hill.  
  
" Wait, Quatre, stop here." Demetri said, quickly and Quatre pulled over to the side of the road. " Look down at that valley." She pointed to the land beneath them.  
  
There were fields all around, but the road they were on led to the bottom of the valley where there was a farm. A large house was on one side of the road and there was a barn and turnout fields on the other side. Way off in the distance was the start of a mountain system. Beyond that were traces of rain clouds that blew in from the mountains everyday and brought rain.  
  
" That is where I used to live." Demetri said, fondly, " My family just moved out a month ago. It's not sold yet."  
  
" You used to live there?" Quatre asked, surprised, " It's so far from...anything."  
  
" Well, let's go down there, then." Demetri said and Quatre brought the truck back onto the road.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" I can't believe they forgot about my spare key!" Demetri said as she brought her head out from under the house, a small matchbox in her hand. She put back a loose plank of wood that she had dislodged earlier.  
  
  
  
Demetri was covered in dust and had to pull cobwebs out of her hair. Quatre laughed at her and she just smiled back.  
  
" Perhaps they just didn't want to go in and find it." Quatre offered.  
  
" Well, that's a possibility, too." Demetri nodded. She opened the box and shook it, letting a small, silver key bounce out onto her hand. She went to the back door off the house and unlocked it.  
  
" Are you sure we should be doing this?" Quatre asked, " I mean, you don't live here anymore..."  
  
" Do you want to stand watch?" Demetri asked, opening the door. " Don't worry about it, I doubt anyone will be coming here."   
  
Quatre said nothing as they went into the dark house, their shoes clinking on the wooden floor. The power had been turned off and the only lighting was what came through the windows. The back door led into the kitchen. There was a stained glass window just above the sink that let all kinds of colors illuminate an area of the room. Quatre stopped momentarily to admire it, until Demetri yanked his shirt and directed him into a large, empty room.  
  
" This is the family room," Demetri said, and then pointed to a fireplace, " And that is where I sat all winter break. I'd read, write, polish tack, whatever. Every single year I lived here."  
  
" How long was that?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Since before I remember..." Demetri said, fondly, " Oh, here's my bedroom!"  
  
" So, this is where you grew up? You spent your whole life here?" Quatre said, kind of shocked that she could give it up so easily.  
  
" As far as I know." Demetri said as she dragged him into her room and looked around, excitedly. It had a big window that lit up the whole place, showing the unique wallpaper.   
  
" What's this?" Quatre asked, pointing to something on the bottom half of the wall.  
  
" Why, Quatre. I knew you were one of those city folk, but can't you tell a horse when you see one?" Demetri laughed and knelt down beside the drawing, " The bottom half of the wall was made for drawing. I started here by the door, and ended on the other side of the room with a drawing the day before I moved out."  
  
Demetri dragged him from the stick figure horse and over to the area and pointed out the clear sketch. It was just a head and neck, but it was very clear and paid close attention to detail.  
  
" That's great, Demetri, " Quatre complimented, looking back at her, " I didn't know you could draw."  
  
" Well," Demetri scratched the back of her head; " I sort of gave it up when I went to college."  
  
" I understand, all the time you don't have with full days of classes and then your job..." Quatre smiled.  
  
" Yeah..." Demetri sighed, then her eyes wandered to the closet, " Oh..."  
  
She rushed over to the closet and opened it, looking to the back.  
  
" Oh, good, it's still there." Demetri said with a relieved sigh.  
  
" What?" Quatre said, going to stand next to her and look in.  
  
In the very back of the closet, a rusty horseshoe was nailed tight.  
  
" My good luck charm, of course." Demetri said, happily, " That came off of my very first horse. A gelding. He was already fifteen when my father gave him to me. He was the gentlest horse you could ever come across, I wish there could be a million just like him for every little girl or boy who ever wanted their own pony."  
  
Quatre couldn't help but laugh at how Demetri was acting. She was so depressed earlier that her childish joy made for a nice contrast.  
  
" What?" Demetri asked.  
  
" Nothing, I'm just glad to see you happy," Quatre said. Demetri just smiled at him before he found himself being tugged away again.  
  
" Let's go see the barn now."   
  
Quatre shook his head and smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" So many memories..." Demetri sighed, " So many horses...probably too many..."  
  
Demetri laughed to herself, looking into each and every stall of the twenty-five, stall barn.  
  
" It's so sad to see them all empty," Demetri said, stopping at the end, which opened up into the fields with a clear view of the mountains and the approaching clouds, " My whole life they were overflowing with life. God, my dad must have sold more than half the horses..."  
  
" You okay?" Quatre asked, stopping beside her.  
  
" Yeah," Demetri smiled up at the sky, " I got over this place at least a year ago. Hey, looks like rain. We should get going, it's so flat out here, you get the full blow on wind and dust, then there's lightning danger, and finally it pours and floods."  
  
" Point taken." Quatre sighed, " shall we, then?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Wait, stop here, Quatre, I want to show you something." Demetri said, unbuckling her seatbelt.  
  
Quatre pulled over and stopped at the top of the hill that overlooked the barn. They both got out of the truck and went towards the back of the truck.  
  
" So, Quatre," Demetri smiled " You reminded me earlier that you have never given me an answer to that question."   
  
" Geez, it seems our whole relationship has revolved around this one question," Quatre stood next to Demetri and sighed, " Seems I can no longer avoid it..."  
  
" Damn strait." Demetri gave Quatre a friendly nudge, " So? You got an answer for me, yet?"  
  
" I suppose my dreams are ever-changing." Quatre said, " I just deal with them on a by and by basis."  
  
" So then, what are your dreams now?" Demetri asked, very curious now.  
  
" Well, I guess it's what I'm focusing on now...hmm...I guess that'd be you and YOUR dreams..." Quatre scratched his head and chuckled, " I just can't seem to be able to get away from that..."  
  
" Hmm," Demetri took a step forward, a blush on her face, " ...When I'm dreaming for you, like you told me to do until I figure out what I want to dream for,...what do you want me to dream about?"  
  
" I figure..." Quatre looked to the side, " ...that's up to you..."  
  
Demetri smiled at Quatre, then let a silence loom in the air.  
  
" Just look at that..." Demetri whispered, studying the sky.  
  
Quatre looked at where her attention was. The clouds were rolling over the mountain, casting a shadow over it. A thunder head was reaching high into the sky, looking as if it would bear down at them at any moment, like a heard of bison. Lightning could be seen, illuminating areas of the great cloud. The wind started to whip around them.  
  
Quatre stepped up to just beside Demetri and looked over at her. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt and her usual country ensemble. Her eyes were shining as she admired the beauty of the sky and the wind blew the thin strands of hair that got loose from her ponytail. Her cheeks were still rosy from when she was crying. Or was it from Quatre himself.  
  
" It's beautiful, it looks just so powerful and foreboding. It's scary in a way to think of what that will bring, but it's just so...so..."  
  
Quatre stepped closer to Demetri and ran his hand down the side of her face. She looked at him, surprised. But then, her features softened and she relaxed under Quatre's touch. Quatre bent down and brought his lips to hers. She softly closed her eyes and accepted his gentle kiss. Seconds later, Quatre pulled away to just an inch from her lips.  
  
" ...Breath-taking..." Quatre finished for her.  
  
A/N- *sigh* Ooh, that scene gave me a warm feeling...  
  
I do enjoy a good thunderstorm, they're really amazing, don't you think? The way the clouds roll in where I live in Arizona is just like how I described it. It really is breath-taking and the smell of the wet desert air is my favorite thing in the whole world! I missed it so much, because this year we got a late monsoon season. That really bites, but we had a huge storm the other night, the first in a while. But, it was way too much. We had microbursts and dust like you couldn't believe. The horses got spooked, one of our goat almost died and the chicken coop fell over and all the chicken's escaped.  
  
But, I got a thunderstorm, so that's okay...  
  
Later,  
  
Supurrkitty 


	9. The Good and Bad

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N- Geez, this took long! Sorry about that, but you know how life and things get in the way...Oh well, I won't make excuses. On with the story!  
  
The Good and Bad  
  
Quatre couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. It was raining and he had been out for hours, but he wouldn't change the day for the world.  
  
Him and Demetri stayed on top of that hill, outside of the car until the rain actually did come in. They had talked, confessed that they did hold a fondness more than friendship, and kissed. When the rain came, they got back in the truck and went back to the road, but had to pull over when the wind and dust got too bad, just like Demetri described.  
  
There, they talked more, but mostly admired the storm raging around them and enjoyed each other's company.   
  
" What are you so happy about?" Duo asked from his spot in front of the television when Quatre came in.  
  
" Nothing." Quatre said, still smiling.  
  
" Oh," Duo said, waving dismissively, " So she kissed you, so what?"  
  
" Huh?" Quatre turned to face Duo " How did you know?"  
  
"What else could it be with that stupid look on your face?" Duo asked, and then turned his attention back to the T.V. " Damn, I was going to ask her out, too..."  
  
" What?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Well, you two were just 'friends'. I was gonna ask her before you took the next step, but, I guess I'm too late..." Duo shrugged.  
  
" You're evil..." Quatre said, shaking his head.  
  
" Thank you." Duo smiled  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Demetri unlocked her door and walked inside her apartment, setting her things down next to the door.  
  
" You know, you could have just knocked. I would have answered the door." A voice came from the couch.  
  
Demetri jumped and looked over, surprised. She saw Lee sitting on her couch reading a magazine.  
  
" Geez, you scared me," Demetri said with a smile, " I forgot you were here..."  
  
" I've been staying here for over a week." Lee stated, eyebrow raised, " Are you okay?"  
  
" Couldn't be better." Demetri smiled and went into the kitchen to get a drink.  
  
Lee shook his head and went back to his magazine.  
  
" Quatre must have kissed her..."   
  
" What did you say?" Demetri asked, coming back into the room and sitting across from Lee.  
  
" Blake talked to dad after you left." Lee said, almost bitterly.  
  
" So?" Demetri asked, " He lives with him. Yeah, he's anti-social, but they have their occasional conversations like any human being living in such close proximity."  
  
" I was just sayin'..." Lee said and picked up his book.  
  
" Lee, what's going on...?" Demetri asked.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Demetri?" Duo opened the door and looked down at the drenched woman, " what are you doing here?"  
  
It was the morning after Quatre and Demetri advanced their relationship. Usually, the rain would come in the afternoon and be gone by morning, but this time it never stopped raining.  
  
Demetri gave Duo a weak smile. She was wearing her usual jeans; the cuffs were soaked where she waded through the flooding water. Her boots were replaced with sneakers, which were also soaked. She had on a tight tank top, covered by a cotton jacket with a hood, which was covering her head.  
  
" Is Quatre here?" She asked as she pulled the hood off of her head and Duo noticed she wore her hair down. Her hair was long and very wavy. It had a way of threatening to fall down in front of her eyes. " Duo?"  
  
" Oh," Duo shook his head, " No, he left earlier, but...Er, would you like to come in, you're soaked. You can wait for Quatre in here."  
  
" Okay," Demetri said and came in.  
  
She took off her jacket, leaving only her spaghetti strap shirt to cover her upper body. She sat down on the couch in the same place she sat last time.  
  
" It's nice to see you again, Duo." Demetri smiled " I hope I'm not causing you inconvenience."  
  
" Oh no, not at all," Duo shook his head, " It's not like I can go anywhere, anyhow."  
  
" How so?" Demetri asked.  
  
" Oh, I got my license suspended a few months ago," Duo said, scratching his head.  
  
" What did you do?" Demetri asked.  
  
" I just went a little crazy on my bike...more than a few times..." Duo said, looking to the side, " But, hey, I can get it back soon, that's good."  
  
" Yeah." Demetri said, a little side-tracked.  
  
" You okay?" Duo asked, sitting down next to her.  
  
Demetri felt the couch shift under his weight and became aware of his presence.   
  
" I..." Demetri paused, taking a deep breath. " I'm just...overwhelmed at the moment..."  
  
" Don't tell me you and Quatre are having problems already." Duo sighed, leaning back.  
  
"..." Demetri looked over at Duo, flushing slightly. " No... did Quatre tell you about yesterday?"  
  
" He didn't have to, I saw it all in his stupid, perverted grin." Duo said with a chuckle.  
  
Demetri blinked at Duo, then smiled slightly, " Do you two really get on each other's nerves that much?"  
  
" Well, yeah, but I respect the guy." Duo said, " He might be ignorant, stupid, overly sensitive, dense, obsessive, a neat freak, not nearly as good looking as I, useless, and easily manipulated, but he's a pretty nice guy."  
  
Demetri chuckled, looking over at Duo.  
  
" I'm not sure I agree with everything you just said." Demetri smiled.  
  
" Ah, you said 'not everything', that means you believe some of it." Duo pointed out, " Must be the part about the dense, obsessive, neat freak, which is not nearly as good looking as I. Oh, and maybe the nice guy part, too."  
  
" Duo," Demetri laughed again, " I can only hope that, one day, some girl can put up with you enough to see through your annoying exterior and learn to love you, so she can take you away and protect the rest of us from you."  
  
" That..." Duo pointed to her, staring sternly, " ...is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!"  
  
With that, he hugged her tightly.  
  
" Duo!" Demetri complained, in between laughter.  
  
" Ooh, you're soft, I like hugging you." Duo smiled, snuggling.  
  
Demetri kept laughing, but tried to push Duo off of her.  
  
" Mmm, you smell good, too, what is that, raspberry lotion?" Duo asked, sniffing her skin. " Yup, must be."  
  
Then, Duo unlatched himself from Demetri and scooted away from her a bit. Demetri looked at him, confused. She was glad to have him off of her, but she didn't understand his sudden actions.  
  
" Trouble coming." Duo said, looking at the door.  
  
Demetri looked over at the door, and, about half a minute later, the door knob started to turn, making her jump. It made her wonder how Duo knew someone was coming down the hall and that they were heading for that room.  
  
Quatre came through the door and dropped his keys, startled at seeing Demetri. He picked them up, then smiled at Demetri, who smiled back. His smile faltered slightly after examining her. Demetri suddenly became very aware of herself and did a mental check of her appearance. She was wearing a tank top, her jacket was on the end table closest to the couch, her hair was a little messed up, and she felt and looked flustered from Duo's hug attack. She looked over at Duo, who greeted Quatre with a wave and a hidden look of guilt.  
  
Quatre was still busy deciding what to think. There, together on the couch, were his best friend and girlfriend. Both looked flustered and didn't speak a word. Demetri was wearing a tight, thin-strapped shirt and her usual jeans. He noticed that her jacket was off. But, there was still not enough evidence to accuse them of anything drastic.  
  
The silence seemed to loom in the air, making it harder to breath.   
  
" Demetri," Quatre forced himself to smile, " I wasn't expecting to see you this morning. You should have called first."  
  
Quatre took off his jacket, shaking some of the water droplets off. Demetri didn't smile, but look at Quatre, concerned.  
  
" Well," Duo stood up and headed towards the door, " I should probably go for a walk or something. I haven't been out of the building in almost three days."  
  
Duo waved as he grabbed his jacket and hurried out the door. Quatre watched him leave, then looked back over at Demetri.  
  
" What was that about?" Quatre asked, trying not to sound harsh or accusing.  
  
" Nothing really," Demetri smiled, " I was just talking to Duo, waiting for you to come home."  
  
" You don't have to lie to me, Demetri..." Quatre sighed, still standing.  
  
" Why would I be lying to you!?" Demetri asked, a bit offended.  
  
" I don't know." Quatre said, " It just seems a little suspicious how you two were acting..."  
  
" You, of all people, should know the sort of person I am, Quatre! I would never do that to you or anyone! We were just goofing around!" Demetri defended herself.  
  
" Oh really?" Quatre asked, with a tone, " How so? The kind of goofing between a guys best friend and his girlfriend that makes everything awkward!?"  
  
" Quatre, you're over-reacting!" Demetri screamed.  
  
" Am I? I thought relationships were about telling each other things, including the truth! Without trust, there can't be love!"  
  
" Who ever said anything about love!?" Demetri stood up. " I sure as hell didn't!"  
  
"..." Quatre took a small step back and stayed silent.  
  
" I don't believe you! I just want to be friends with Duo, that's all!" Demetri said.  
  
" You and I were just friends, did you think about that!?" Quatre asked, now angrier.  
  
" Yeah, we were, weren't we?" Demetri nodded her head, " And maybe it should have stayed that way."  
  
Both Quatre and Demetri seemed to be taken aback at what came out of her mouth. Quatre looked to the side and Demetri took a step forward, regretting that they had ever started arguing.  
  
" Quatre..." Demetri put her hand forward.  
  
" Is that how you feel?" Quatre asked  
  
" I say stupid things when I'm angry, I don't feel that way..." Demetri looked at him apologetically. " I'm sorry."   
  
" Good, because I don't feel that way either." Quatre looked back over to her. " I'm sorry. I should trust you and Duo better."  
  
" This was all my fault." Demetri said, " You have every right to worry the way that man acts around women..."  
  
They stayed silent for another couple of minutes, looking at the ground.  
  
" Let's not do that again." Quatre suggested.  
  
" I agree." Demetri smiled.  
  
" That really scared me, you know?" Quatre smiled back at her. " All these thoughts ran through my head. What if I'd lose you? What if you disappeared from my life forever? Right when we start out, it'd be like not giving us a chance at all..."  
  
" I'm sorry...for scaring you..." Demetri said  
  
Quatre stepped forward and brought her into his arms, not saying anything. He was just glad to be able to hold her.  
  
After a bit of this, Quatre moved back from her and they both sat on the couch.  
  
" So," Quatre started, " Why'd you come without calling first?"  
  
" I should have called..." Demetri sighed " Well, I was a little distressed, so I guess that didn't run through my head."  
  
" Distressed?" Quatre blinked at her. " Why?"  
  
" Well, my father called me, and he wants me to take Clover to a barrel practice..." Demetri sighed.  
  
" ...Are you...okay with that?" Quatre asked, remembering the story of Lady's death.  
  
" I wasn't at first, but I agreed to it anyway." Demetri said, " But, then I began to think about it more and the feeling I get when I run...I'm kind of looking forward to it."  
  
" Demetri, that's great!" Quatre smiled at her and gave her another hug.  
  
" I'd like for you to be there. It's this weekend." Demetri smiled up at him.  
  
" Of course I'll come." Quatre said  
  
" Great!" Demetri said, " because this will be my first run in years."  
  
A/N- Odd place to leave off, but, what the hell...The next chapter will be interesting. You will go inside the bowels of Rodeo...well, actually, just a barrel practice...which is much different... Nevermind...  
  
Oh! I have wonderful news! personal news, anyway. I am now the FFA President at my school! And, I'm going to Kentucky this year at the FFA national convention! I'm sooo excited! Also, in September, Strider, one of my horses, will start his first show season! Happy day!  
  
But, for the bad news: I'm really really really sick right now and I only want to sleep, but I have a huge load of FFA work to do that's due at the state office by this weekend! Oh well, I know I can do it! I'm President! Cheer me on!   
  
Please...  
  
Supurrkitty 


	10. Moving On

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
A/N: Oh yeah, tenth chapter, baby! I think this is my longest story ever! Hooray! Thanks for all the support of my reviewers, you really don't know how much it means to me...*cries* these are happy tears!  
  
Moving on  
  
" Demetri, you better be careful..." Quatre warned, looking worried as she checked the cinch on Clover one last time.  
  
" Don't worry, Quatre." Demetri smiled at him, " besides, this is a covered arena. The rain hasn't even touched it."  
  
" That's good," Quatre smiled back, " But, still, be careful."  
  
Demetri looked at Clover and patted his neck. Then, she checked his tie on the trailer and walked over to Quatre. She wrapped her arms around him in an embrace.  
  
" That's really annoying, you know." Demetri laughed, then looked back up at him, " But, thanks for caring..."  
  
Demetri turned her head to the arena as she heard the speaker come to life. She untied clover and slipped the bridle into his mouth. She threw the reins over his head and mounted in one, swift movement.  
  
" Now, you can go watch from the bleachers, I believe Blake and Lee are near the front." She winked at him from the top of the horse, " Wish me luck!"  
  
Then, she rode off towards the competitor's area.  
  
Quatre smiled and shook his head, walking towards the bleachers. There were a few puddles on the ground from the rain, but it was only drizzling now. They still hadn't seen the sun in days, though. Quatre looked down at his muddy feet and suddenly became glad of his attire. He had worn some jeans, a t-shirt, and some sneakers. Now, incredibly dirty sneakers.  
  
Lee waving his arms in the air like an idiot caught his eye and he headed over to him and Blake.  
  
' Great, try to take a break from one Duo, and you get another...' Quatre thought, ' Well, at least Blake's here to even things out.'  
  
" Hey guys," Quatre smiled before taking a seat next to the two.  
  
" Hey Q-boy," Lee smiled  
  
" Q-boy..?" Quatre mumbled  
  
" Heard you finally pulled a move on my little sister." Lee grinned from ear to ear.  
  
" Well..." Quatre coughed and looked away, " Yeah...sort of..."  
  
" Aww, don't worry short stuff, I won't give ya hell!" Lee slapped him on the back, " I'm glad it was you rather than someone like Brody again."  
  
Quatre was watching all the people swarming in the warm-up arena on their horses, but looked over at Lee after hearing him.  
  
" Again?" He asked, curious.  
  
" Er...she hasn't talked to you...Eh, did I say again? Naw, I meant to say ' I'm glad it was you rather than someone like Brody' Yup!" Lee nodded.  
  
" You should talk to Demetri, " Blake suggested calmly.  
  
" Err..." Quatre leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, continuing to watch the riders. He could guess what Lee was talking about, but he didn't want to accept it.  
  
Then, the announcer came back on and announced the first runners. There weren't many there that day because of the rain and the fact that it was a Tuesday night. Demetri would be third to run.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Demetri trotted out of the arena, happy with Clover's warm-up. She heard that she was third on the list to run, so she went toward the gate. Other riders, mostly girls, were sitting, their horses prancing in place with excitement. A few of the girls looked nervous, but most were used to this.  
  
' Well,' Demetri thought to herself with a smile, ' doesn't look like I'll have much trouble grabbing the money...'  
  
Demetri had decided to get her money's worth with this run and sign up for Jackpot barrels, instead of just time. If she got the best run, she would get the money collected. And, judging by the small turnout, it wouldn't be that much.  
  
" So, how do you like the mare? She gonna give you a good run?" Demetri heard a familiar, yet unwelcome voice.  
  
" We'll find out," Came an annoyingly saucy voice.  
  
Demetri looked over to just next to the gate. There was a woman on the very same black mare that Demetri rode before. The woman had strawberry blond, strait hair with dark streaks. Both her and her saddle had silver scattered around. She had a perfect, clean felt hat on. Demetri remembered that she just had her dark hair braided messily.  
  
Next to the woman on the horse, was Brody, hanging over the rail, smiling up at the pretty girl. He was wearing his usual cowboy gear and stupid look on his face.  
  
The announcer came back on and announced the first run's time. 16.4. Demetri didn't even notice that they had started. Then, they announced the next run and Demetri noticed the girl with Brody got ready to go, giving Brody a kiss before she left. Demetri shuddered.  
  
Brody watched the girl go, then went over to Demetri.  
  
' Did he notice me?' Demetri panicked to herself.  
  
" Jealous, are we?" Brody grinned at Demetri.  
  
" Yeah," Demetri smiled towards the arena, " she's riding a good horse."  
  
Brody gave a low growl and patted Clover, who snorted at him.  
  
" It'll get her farther than you riding this stallion." Brody snorted.  
  
" You've never even seen this boy run. How do you know?" Demetri asked defensively.  
  
" Cause I know the rider REAL well..." Brody laughed.  
  
" Nice run, Ashley." Came the announcer, " 15.7. Real nice run!"  
  
Brody looked at Demetri expectantly. Demetri glared back and got ready for her run.  
  
" Next up, Demetri Roswald. Long time, no see, Dusty."  
  
Demetri waved to the familiar announcer and went into the arena as whispers erupted among the crowd. She had been going to this same arena for barrel practices since she first started. And, there was always the same family announcing. Demetri noticed that their daughter, who was seven years older than her, had now taken over as announcer.  
  
Demetri looked to the Bleachers and saw Blake, Lee, and Quatre. Quatre still looked a little worried, but supported her right along with her brothers. Demetri smiled and waved at him before she turned her attention to the barrels. She kicked Clover and he took off like a rocket. Demetri was a little surprised by his speed in the arena for his first time, but kept her concentration. It was perfect. The arena was, her balance was, her horse was, the distance and speed was. And, with all those factors in place, they swiftly blew through those three barrels.  
  
True to her name, Dusty raised hell for the arena dirt on every turn.  
  
Back on the bleachers, Quatre felt close to panic. He had lost sight of Demetri after the first barrel. There was so much dust that he didn't see her until her and Clover blasted through the wall of dust and bounded past the timer.  
  
" Woah..." They heard the announcer as Demetri pulled her horse to a quick stop. " Err, um..." The announcer sniffed as if she were crying, " 15.2...Let us breath, Dusty...Let us breath..."  
  
Cheers came from the bleachers, but not just from the three guys. More people seemed to be touched by her sudden, strong return. After all, before the incident, she was their hometown hero in the finals.  
  
Demetri smiled at the crowd, tears in her eyes. Unlike Brody had made her feel, they were not ashamed of her after the tragedy at the finals. They supported her comeback and if she hadn't made this run, she would have let them down.  
  
" So may familiar faces..." She thought to herself as she finally studied the faces better. A lot of the riders smiled at her and congratulated her, too. Many of them she had grown up around and, for some of the younger ones, she had even babysat some. She looked back over to Brody and Ashley. Ashley looked a little angry and Brody pretended to not notice her.  
  
Demetri smiled to herself as she took Clover back to her trailer, away from the noise. She un-tacked him, gave him some oats and tied him to the side of the trailer.  
  
" One run for tonight will be good," She spoke to Clover, " You did great, boy!"  
  
" You did great, too!" Lee said from behind her, making her jump.  
  
" Yeah, looks like Dusty's back." Blake smiled at her.  
  
" You think?" Demetri asked, turning towards them.  
  
" The whole crowd seems to think so," Quatre smiled at her, " They love you."  
  
Demetri smiled at Quatre and went and gave him a big hug. The sun was completely down now, making it hard to see where the clouds were. The drizzling from before was starting to turn into a pouring.  
  
" Oh dear," Demetri said, looking over at Clover. " We better get him in the trailer..."  
  
" Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it." Blake said  
  
" We will?" Lee looked over at Blake.  
  
" Thanks guys." Demetri smiled at the two, then looked back to Quatre. " C'mon, I'll show you around here. It's an old hangout place for me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Demetri," Quatre stopped her after they had walked around a bit and said hello to some of Demetri's old acquaintances. He stopped walking just by some of the cow pens, which currently only had a few scraggly looking roping steers in it.  
  
" What is it?" Demetri smiled at him as she turned around. It was dark and the rain kept it's steady flow, which they were standing under. Neither one really seemed to mind or take notice.  
  
" I was...I mean, well, I was talking with your brothers earlier and a certain subject came up." Quatre cleared his throat, " Lee was kind of weird about it, but Blake told me to talk to you..."  
  
" Blake did?" Demetri chuckled, " Well then, whatever it is, it must be pretty bad, so I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."  
  
" What?" Quatre blinked, then took a step forward, touching her arm, " But, Demetri, I would gladly listen any time..."  
  
" What about you, Quatre?" Demetri asked, suddenly.  
  
" What do you mean?" Quatre asked.  
  
" Well, I figure I let you in on a load of my past, you return the favor to me." Demetri said, " You're so focused on helping others, you don't realize you need help yourself."  
  
" Well, I suppose some of that might be true..." Quatre shook his head.  
  
" Truth is, I don't know that much about you, Quatre. I know what kind of person you are, I know one of your friends, but I don't know how you came to be who you are. If you've got a billionaire corporation that you can live off of for the rest of your life and you don't have a goal or dream, why did you come to the University? And how did you come to make friends with Duo?" Demetri sighed, and looked up at Quatre with teary eyes, " Quatre, I want to know why you get that glazed look in your eyes whenever we talk about the war. Why won't you talk to me?"  
  
" Demetri..." Quatre looked at her then looked away, " I...you don't need my worries on your shoulders right now..."  
  
" Nor do you mine." Demetri gasped out, close to tears, " If it's that bad that you can't talk to me, maybe..."  
  
" Don't!" Quatre snapped " Don't say it. That is just the reason why I don't tell you more..."  
  
" But, Quatre..." Demetri took a step closer at which point he backed up.  
  
" I didn't want to lose you to my past," Quatre said, " I was being selfish...I know what would happen if you knew that..."  
  
There was a large silence that loomed on the humid air and rain.  
  
" Knew what, Quatre?" Demetri stepped forward again.  
  
" Knew that..." Quatre looked back up at Demetri, " Forget it."  
  
Quatre turned around and took some steps away, before stopping.  
  
" Believe me, you are much better off never knowing me in the first place, " Quatre looked towards the clouds, " I don't know why I thought..."  
  
Quatre was interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around him from behind. Demetri leaned against Quatre's back and buried her face in his wet shirt. Quatre could feel her shallow breathing and fast heart-beat against his back.  
  
" Don't..." She whispered in a shaky voice, " I know you don't want me to say it, so please...don't do it..."  
  
Quatre could tell she started to cry, she was shuddering against him. He didn't turn around, but just stood there, the rain beating against his upturned face. He just felt Demetri and listened to her unsteady breath. There was no greater comfort than he had ever felt, but it didn't take away the pain of what had happened before.  
  
" This pain, it will never go away," Demetri whispered to him, " But, you can learn to live with it, to build your life around it...and be happy...That's what you taught me."  
  
" ..." Quatre sighed, almost angrily, " I don't deserve..."  
  
" Yes, you do." Demetri hugged him tighter, " You deserve every bit of happiness, you're human..."  
  
" Some don't think so..." Quatre said, " I'm not so sure myself..."  
  
" You dream..." Demetri whispered, as if it were her last chance.  
  
" You don't know what I did..." Quatre whispered back and slipped from her grasp.  
  
" Quatre! Please..." Demetri grasped at his shirt, making him stop.  
  
Quatre couldn't seem to get past the lump in his throat to speak and his legs seemed to be failing him. Something made him stay there. It wasn't Demetri's weak hold on his shirt, and it wasn't the sticky mud on the ground. Something tugged deeply at his heart, anchoring him to his spot. Something about the way Demetri was crying. It was something he couldn't seem to identify, but accepted none-the-less.  
  
" Quatre..." There was something different in her voice. She had given up. " Qua..."  
  
Quatre felt her hands shaking against his back and knew there was something wrong. He turned around just in time to steady her on her feet. Her eyes seemed to glaze over before they shut and she collapsed against Quatre. Quatre grabbed her and held her against him, panicked.  
  
" Demetri!?" Quatre shook her slightly. She sighed and continued to cry. " What's wrong? What's going on?"  
  
" It's..." Demetri tried to steady herself, " Nothing...a cold..."  
  
Quatre had no free hands, so he pressed her head against his neck to feel her temperature.  
  
" Demetri, you've been sick on and off for a while. You're burning up." Quatre looked down at her, " You need to go to the hospital."  
  
" No!" Demetri jerked away slightly, " Just, no...I hate the hospital...you understand..."  
  
" Okay," Quatre said after contemplating the situation further.  
  
" I want to leave." Demetri cried.  
  
" Me too," Quatre said, kissing the top of her head.  
  
A/N- Whoa, that took way too long! So, what do you think? I like that last scene a lot. Now we can deal with Quatre's problems more.   
  
In the next chapter: They go on their summer trip, a much needed vacation. Will they meet any of the others there? Will Quatre talk to Demetri finally? Their relationship will take some dramatic turns. 


	11. Insomnia

Title: Because of You  
  
Author: Supurrkitty  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!  
  
Insomnia  
  
The door continued knocking, and Quatre poked his head out from his bedroom. It had been knocking for a bit. He looked over at Duo's bed. Duo was asleep on top of his half packed suitcase. Quatre looked over at his neatly packed one and sighed, going to open the door.  
  
He unlocked the door and it flew open. Quatre was immeadiately tackled in a glomp.  
  
" Thank you soooo much for letting me come Cat!"   
  
Quatre looked down and saw Demetri's brother, Lee, attached to him.  
  
" Hey!" Quatre yelled, trying to shove Lee off of him, " You're welcome, but get OFF!"  
  
" Lee, what have I told you about trying to hit on Quatre?" Demetri said, behind them.  
  
Lee detached himself and smiled at Demetri.  
  
" You're just jealous of my beauty!" Lee said, flipping his hair dramatically.   
  
Demetri shook her head, then smiled over at Quatre, who looked pale.  
  
" Are you okay?" Demetri asked, throwing her arm around him.  
  
" Yeah," Quatre smiled at her, " But, are you?"  
  
" I'm better," Demetri stepped away from him.  
  
Quatre sighed and went to go wake up Duo so they could leave for their much-needed vacation.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Oh my god!" Demetri smiled and looked up at the sky, which was now darkening. " It's gorgeous out here!"  
  
" I thought you'd like it," Quatre smiled at her while bringing some of their luggage into the large cabin. Not a mansion or anything elaborate, just a big, wooden cabin.  
  
" It's fricken' cold out here!" Lee complained, carrying some more bags. " What's the point of summer up here if it feels like winter?"  
  
" I think that's actually the point," Duo said, walking up beside Lee, " Those two just want to live in their own little world where the temperature always stays the same, no matter how chilly."  
  
" Yeah," Lee agreed, " they are pretty strange."  
  
" You're one to talk Lee. At least I never shoved a pickle up my nose so far, you had to go to the hospital to get it out." Demetri smiled, running ahead of him with one bag into the cabin.  
  
" I was five!" Lee yelled forward defensively, " And why didn't you grab more! You're making us do all the work!"  
  
" Well, " Demetri stopped and turned back to Lee and Duo, " I figure I've done man's work all year long and this is my vacation so...why not allow the guys to try and prove their worth."  
  
Demetri did a cute little smile and started to explore the cabin. Lee just sighed and shook his head, dropping the luggage on the ground.  
  
" Um, excuse me..." A feminine voice came from behind Duo and Lee. They both turned around.  
  
" This is the right...Duo!" A young blonde smiled at seeing Duo there.  
  
" Relena, what a nice surprise!" Duo said and set down the bags he had, " I thought for sure you'd be too busy."  
  
" Even Vice foreign ministers get days off, Duo." Relena chuckled.  
  
" Holy crap!" Lee said, startled, " You are her! You're queen Relena!"  
  
" Please, don't call me that, " Relena said, looking at the new person, sticking her hand out," Just call me Relena."  
  
" Uh..." Lee fumbled to shake her hand, " A...alright..."  
  
Duo laughed at Lee, then turned back towards Relena.  
  
" So, you looking forward to having a full week off?" Duo smiled, " I have a feeling you need it."  
  
" You're right," Relena said with a sigh, " Oh, I need to go get my things out of my car."  
  
" I'll help," Duo said, fallowing her out.  
  
" Me too," Lee said, going after them.  
  
" How much luggage do you think I carry?" Relena asked, amused as they left the cabin.  
  
Quatre came into the room shortly after.  
  
" Hey, guys, everything's turned on now, so..." Quatre looked around and noticed no one was there, " Oh."  
  
" Hey Quatre!"  
  
Quatre looked up at the loft where Demetri was waving from over the edge. He smiled and waved back.  
  
" I love this place, it's adorable," Demetri laughed.  
  
" Not too many spiders, I hope," Quatre said, " I haven't been here in a couple of years, but it's rented out."  
  
Demetri hurried down the stairs, still taking in her surroundings.  
  
" Hey, come help me stock the fridge," Demetri said, motioning to the kitchen.  
  
" Alright," Quatre said and they went into the kitchen, which was open to the front room.  
  
" So, how exactly did you come to be such close friends with these guys?" Lee asked Relena as they came back in, closing the door behind them. Demetri and Quatre looked up at the new guest.  
  
" Well, it was during the war..." Relena started.  
  
" Quatre makes some pretty big connections, you know," Duo interrupted and gave Relena a small warning look. She nodded to Duo in understanding.  
  
" Ah," Lee said and put down Relena's stuff by the couch.  
  
Then, there was a knock at the freshly closed door. Duo turned around to answer it and smiled widely at the two on the other end.  
  
" It's been a while, Trowa, Catherine," Duo said, nodding to them, " Let me guess, you convinced him to come, Cathy? That's pretty much what I thought would go down after getting off the phone with you two."  
  
" And that's pretty much what happened," Cathy laughed as the two were let in. She looked around to see familiar faces and was met by two not so familiar faces, " Oh, I don't believe I've met you two before."  
  
Demetri glanced over at Quatre, who was smiling and greeting the others. She felt very uncomfortable now, meeting the new faces that seemed so close to the only two others she knew besides her brother. Quatre looked at Demetri and was confused at first by her expression.  
  
" Oh, I need to introduce you guys," Quatre realized out loud, " Cathy, Trowa, Relena, this is Demetri and Lee. Demetri and Lee, this is Trowa, Cathy, and Relena."   
  
He pointed to everyone and they started to exchange greetings.  
  
" So, Demetri, " Cathy said after shaking her hand, " You're Quatre's girlfriend, aren't you?"  
  
" Well..." Demetri smiled shyly.  
  
" I knew it," Cathy said, triumphantly, " So, what do you do? Before I have to go through the embarrassment, I'll just tell you that I work at the circus."  
  
" That's cool. I've never been to the circus before, I'll have to come see you some time," Demetri smiled, " Me, I work with horses."  
  
" Really? What sort of things do you do?" Cathy asked.  
  
" Well, I'm a caretaker and trainer at a stable in the south, where me and Quatre go to school," Demetri explained.  
  
" That must be how you two met," Cathy said, dreamily, " It must be kismet."  
  
Demetri smiled at Catherine. She was getting to like Quatre's friends, they all seemed rather nice. She could tell that she was going to get along with Catherine okay, even though she seemed a little weird and her brother had not even said a word since he got there. In fact, he was standing against the far wall, staring off into space. Perhaps he had a depression issue or a people problem. Demetri shrugged it off as she went to go stand next to Quatre again.  
  
" Hey, it's getting later," Duo stated above the talking, " We need to figure out the sleeping arrangements."  
  
As if their thoughts were on the same page, Quatre and Demetri turned to look at each other.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Demetri hugged the covers tight to her body and turned again to her light up watch. It was two in the morning. Last time she checked, it was a little after one. She could tell that she wasn't going to get any sleep that night. She'd have to take a series of naps in the sun tomorrow to make up for it.  
  
Demetri shifted off of the bed and looked over to the beds in the same room. There were two others, one with her brother, the other with Trowa. In another room, Relena and Cathy shared quarters, and another, Quatre and Duo. It was a strange set up indeed and they had come up with it in very unconventional ways. It confused Demetri, really, as to why Quatre was being so strange about even sleeping in the same room as her. Maybe it had something to do with why he still didn't talk to her about that night.  
  
Demetri stepped off the bed and onto the cold wood floor of the loft. She slipped on some wool socks and pulled a thick jacket over her small pajama top. She tiptoed past the others and went for the stairs down. She looked at Trowa for a moment and thought.  
  
' I wonder how much Quatre knows about him. I mean, he's so quite, it's scary. He could be like anything for all I know. He could be sick and perverted...' Demetri shook her head as she started to take a step towards the stairs.  
  
" Where are you going?" A voice came from Trowa's bed as if he had been awake all of his life. It startled Demetri and she let out a small yelp and stumbled forward towards the stairs. Quick as a flash, Trowa made it from the bed to her in time to grab her arm and pull her away from a terrible fall.  
  
" I'm sorry," He said, looking down at her, " I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
" Th-that's...alright..." She said, still a bit shook up. She looked down at his hand on her arm and started to panic.  
  
" Are you okay?" Trowa asked, still in a monotone.  
  
" Uh...huh..." Demetri nodded violently. She slowly pulled her arm out of his grip.  
  
" You need some fresh air," Trowa stated and took a step back from her. He stepped onto the empty bed and reached up to the low ceiling. He unlatched something and a trap swung open onto the roof.  
  
" How did you know that was there?" Demetri asked, skeptically.  
  
" I saw it when I came into the room," Trowa answered.  
  
" You're very observant," Demetri attempted a compliment.  
  
" Hm," Trowa looked down at her with a strange frown, making Demetri feel awkward. " C'mon, I'll help you up. If you go down stairs, you'll just wake the others up. Your brother may sleep like a brick, but I know Duo and Quatre have some keen senses."  
  
Demetri hesitated at first, thinking of the worst thing he could do on the roof. She decided she could always take her chances and jump down and then went over and let him help her up. He fallowed after her and they both ended up sitting on the roof.  
  
" I don't care if we know everything that's out there," Demetri said, looking up at the clear, sparkling night sky, " They're still beautiful."  
  
" They'll always just be stars to me," Trowa said.   
  
" That's too bad," Demetri said, still looking at the sky " Can I ask you a question?"  
  
" Sure,"   
  
" What do you know about Quatre?"  
  
" Well, I guess I'll have to answer your question with another. What don't you know about Quatre that's making you worry about your relationship so much?"  
  
Demetri studied his face for a second, hoping to find at least a small trace of emotion. Concern? Sarcasm? Nope, just a blank shell of a man. She rested her head on her palm, looking out into the trees.  
  
" He won't talk to me."  
  
"..."  
  
" I wish he would."  
  
" Maybe he's just afraid. He's not as strong as he used to be."  
  
" He's a lot stronger than me."  
  
" Are you so sure?"  
  
Demetri glanced back at him. Surely, this time, he would have a different look. Not this time. She sighed and looked away from him again.  
  
" All I do is whine and he listens to me and even gives me advice. I don't know how, but he's always right. How could he be afraid?"  
  
" ..."  
  
" I'm just so confused! He said he was being selfish and that he didn't want to lose me, and that's why he won't talk to me!"  
  
" If it comes to that, maybe you have a right to know."  
  
" But...I don't want to intrude...and if he doesn't feel that comfortable talking to me..."  
  
" Perhaps your relationship just isn't worth it, then."  
  
Demetri looked over at Trowa once again. C'mon, NOW he had to have SOME expression. Not this time, either. This time she kept her eyes on him.  
  
" Maybe you're right,"  
  
He raised a brow at her. That would count as some sort of sign that he was human.  
  
" I'm just not willing to give up yet, though," Demetri smiled slightly.  
  
" That counts for something," Trowa looked away from her at the trees.  
  
" I sure hope so," Demetri laughed, looking to where Trowa was looking.  
  
There was a long silence between the two, only cut into by the wind whistling through the needles of the pine.  
  
" I don't want to dig into your business more than I already have, but, I think it would be fair to tell you something."  
  
" Yeah?" Demetri looked at him puzzled.  
  
" I'm an Ex-Gundam pilot." Trowa said, looking back to Demetri.  
  
" A Gundam pilot? You mean those Mech from the war?" Demetri said in utter surprise. Trowa simply nodded. " Oh my god, I never imagined I'd meet any of you guys! My brother idolized you so much during the war..."  
  
Demetri stopped when she saw that Trowa features had become slightly paler. Or maybe they didn't change and Demetri's senses just told her to stop.  
  
" I'm surprised that he didn't recognize us. You can find out who we are if you just do some poking around on the net," Trowa said, breaking another silence, " There were five of us."  
  
" You must have been so young," Demetri said, sadly, " In high school..."  
  
Trowa nodded pointedly to her.  
  
" Wait...but, wasn't that...? Shit." Demetri said, smacking her head, " You guys weren't High school buddies, were you?"  
  
" War buddies," Trowa stated.  
  
" I had no idea," Demetri said blankly, " But, I guess there were clues...God, Quatre? Christ..."  
  
" You're not going to push him away after this, are you?"  
  
" No!" Demetri said, defensively, " I just wish he had trusted me..."  
  
" What are you going to do now?"  
  
" Talk to him." Demetri said, standing up.  
  
" Not now." Trowa said, a little surprised.  
  
" Why not?" Demetri asked before jumping down from the roof into the room. Trowa reached down for her, but missed. He sighed and sat back up, staying on the roof. Let the crazy girl do what she wanted, not that it was any of his business. He laid back and looked up at the stars. They did look amazing. Maybe he could just pretend for a minute that he had no idea what they were and enjoy them how the earliest men had.  
  
A/N- Well, isn't that interesting. First she thinks he's going to rape her or something, then he becomes her confidant. hahaha...I love writing...  
  
I've been putting off my writing quite a bit, lately. I've been a bad girl... Oh well, you get what you pay for, and I haven't gotten paid, so...just enjoy whatcha can. My life has been terribly hectic, worse than this story.  
  
In the next chapter- NOW they're really going to talk and something else will happen, I'm not sure what, I still haven't decided, so I guess we'll all be surprised when it comes out, huh? Ne? Meh?   
  
Screw it.  
  
~Supurrkitty 


	12. Close

Title: Because of You

Author: Supurrkitty

Disclaimer: I do not own any Gundam wing characters, never have, never will, and that's it!

" What are you doing up?" Quatre asked a little surprised at coming out to get a drink and seeing Demetri sitting on the counter.

" Couldn't sleep," Demetri said, looking down at her feet. " You?"

" Same," Quatre said filling up a glass with tap water, " Must be the change in altitude."

" Yeah," Demetri agreed, then looked back up at Quatre.

" Something wrong?" Quatre asked nervously, leaning against the counter next to Demetri.

" You know…" Demetri said, frustrated. Despite convincing herself she wouldn't, she started to tear up, " Why…why won't you talk to me…?"

" Demetri…" Quatre looked over at her, a little shocked, " Demetri…I…"

" I know, Quatre." Demetri whispered, " I know how you met the others, during the war…"

" You know…?" Quatre looked startled and turned towards her, " But…how…"

" It doesn't matter," Demetri said, crying, " None of it matters…I just…I just want you to trust me…"

" It's not that I don't trust you," Quatre said, " I was just afraid…that if you knew…you'd…well, leave…"

" I don't want to leave," Demetri shook her head and smiled down at Quatre from the counter, " Trust me that I won't…"

" Demetri…" Quatre whispered.

Demetri jumped down from the counter and looked up at Quatre.

" I'm sorry if I'm being silly…" Demetri said, " I guess I'm just insecure…"

Quatre stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

" No, I'm sorry…" Quatre whispered to her, his mouth near her ear, " I was an idiot, I didn't realize what I was doing by not saying anything…"

Demetri stayed silent, listening to Quatre breathe and trying to steady her breathing to his, while sucking in his warm scent.

" But," Quatre shifted slightly, " Are you sure…you're okay with me…"

" Quatre," Demetri interrupted, " I already told you…I don't want to leave… I just want you to be open to me."

There was a short silence in which the grandfather clock in the front room let out a proclamation that it was four in the morning. Demetri found it odd that so much time had passed in those last few, fragile moments.

" Okay," Quatre told her, giving her a squeeze.

And then he told her all her remembered about the wars and his part in bringing peace to the nations.

" Where are Demetri and Quatre?" Relena asked as they were all seated around the small kitchen table in the morning. Catherine was in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone.

" They're still asleep," Lee sighed, his head resting on his hand, " One can only imagine why…"

" Hmm…" Duo smiled, " They must have been up all night."

" Leave them alone guys," Trowa spoke up.

" Oh, look who decided to speak this trip," Duo laughed, " You don't happen to know something that we don't?"

" No, so just get off it," Trowa replied.

" Fine…" Duo sighed, " Hey, is it done yet?"

" Just a little longer," Catherine called from the kitchen.

" Well, more food for us, anyway, " Lee smiled.

Relena rolled her eyes and then focused them on her glass of orange juice.

" Something wrong, Relena?" Trowa asked and she looked up at him, startled.

" No, no, I was just thinking," Relena smiled and waved her hand at her head, " tired."

Trowa nodded, but wasn't entirely convinced. After all, everyone knew where her mind was when she got like that.

" It's all done," Cathy broke the silence as she came in, balancing plates of food.

Lee looked up at her and then got up, offering his help, which she gladly accepted.

" What are you guys doing up so early?" Demetri asked while she yawned, coming down the stairs from the loft.

" Demetri, it's ten o'clock," Lee told her flatly.

" It is?" Her eyes widened and she looked at the clock on the wall, " Oh my, I never wake up this late!"

" You're on vacation," Cathy smiled, " It's alright."

" But still…" Demetri ran a hand through her hair and yawned again.

" Good morning guys," Quatre drug his feet out of the hallway.

" Morning Quatre," Duo smiled at him as he and Demetri took a seat at the table next to each other, " Looks like you didn't get enough sleep."

" Meh," Quatre flicked his hand towards Duo as he tried to adjust his eyes to the sight of food in front of him. Demetri chuckled and poured herself some milk.

Quatre watched her for a while as she helped to serve others some drinks. He rested his head in his hands and just stared, lost in thought.

" You wanna go out tonight, Demetri?" He finally asked and the table went silent.

" Huh?" Demetri blinked over at him.

" We've never been on a date before, Demetri." Quatre explained, not noticing that everyone was watching them, " would you like to go into town with me tonight?"

" Uh…um…" Demetri had noticed all the pairs of eyes, " Uh, sure, Quatre."

"Alright then," Quatre smiled and finally turned back to his food, when he noticed the others staring, " what?"

Demetri stretched and sighed as she examined the vast land that lay before her.

"Boy, what a hike," Demetri laughed, " and still, we have to go all the way back!"

The thought appeared positively pleasing to her as she scrunched up her sleeve to scratch her arm, probably a bite from one of the kajillion bugs that accompanied them on the hike.

"I feel like I've put in a good day, but…" Demetri turned from the gorgeous view of the pine-filled valley that lay between the mountains, " you still owe me a date tonight".

"Yes, well," Quatre came to stand beside her, " You just better let me shower first".

" Yeah, I could probably use one as well," Demetri sighed.

" Yeah, no kidding," Quatre joked before a prompt slap on the arm.

"Ah, enough of this, we came to enjoy nature, not some lover's quarrel," Duo grumbled.

"Much less on each other's stench," Lee chuckled.

" I think it's cute," Catherine said, getting a weird look from Lee while Relena just rolled her eyes.

" hmm…I hope Trowa doesn't get himself lost or anything," Relena sighed as they all studied the landscape, the bounty of their long hike.

" Doubt it," Duo laughed, " even if he could get lost, that would just make him as happy as a puppy with two…"

" tails to wag?" Quatre interceded.

" uh, yeah, sure…" Duo chuckled, " How could a man so suited to be a hermit end up as an entertainer anyways?"

" Family, obviously," Catherine said, sticking her tongue out at Duo, who stuck his tongue out in return.

Demetri thought about Trowa for a second as she silently studied the clouds that rolled over their heads. There was much more to Trowa than she had initially pondered. He was very easy to talk to and it was started to look like he had a very rich value system. Wow, what amazing people these Gundam pilots were. Thinking that, she looked back over at Quatre, but found he had been looking at her first. At catching her gaze, he smiled at her and she smiled back. In just a day, and barely any words exchanged, she felt like she was more familiar with Trowa than Quatre. Perhaps that was all in perspective based on potential relationships, though. The horizon was much broader for her when it came to Quatre and……Okay, wait, too much thinking for such a high altitude, she stopped herself. She just needed to enjoy everything, give her heart a little more freedom from her head.

Demetri scooted closer to Quatre and wrapped her arms around him as she looked out at the land. Quatre, in turn, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and stroked her hair out of her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead, blocking those talking behind her out of her mind. Her heart leapt at the closeness and she almost felt like crying. Yeah, she could just deal with this for now, no problem. Strength and tenderness, it felt like something, a protection from the world, a familiarity….

" Hate to break this up," A voice broke through the invisible barrier in her mind, it was Duo, " but shouldn't we be heading back so we don't get stuck here in the dark?"

" Hm," Quatre seemed to snap out of a trance himself, making Demetri smile, " yeah, yeah, we should…"

Quatre let go of her shoulder and Demetri detached herself from him as everyone started heading back down the mountainside. Demetri watched her feet, missing the closeness and warmth she had just obtained and wishing she had had just a few more seconds to figure out what that feeling was. She was sighing when she felt a hand over her closed fist. Her fingers started to open before she looked over and saw Quatre next to her. The next thing she knew, his fingers were intertwined with hers and her plodding became a light step the rest of the way back.

" Yay!" Duo hugged the pillar on the porch as they walked up the steps of the cabin, " Warmth and Cleanliness! Food and Poker!"

" Indoor plumbing and Alcohol…" Lee added. Duo nodded in return.

Demetri smiled at the two as Quatre unlocked the door to the cabin. The sky had been getting darker and the temperature started plummeting with the sun. They were all happy when they stepped into the welcoming warmth of the cabin.

" You two hurry up and take your showers and go," Relena said, taking her hair down before sitting on the couch, " I'm feeling grimy beyond belief"

" Alright then, I suppose we should hurry before it gets too late," Quatre said, then turned to Demetri, " You can go first if you want".

" Thanks," she smiled warmly before heading to the loft for new clothes and a towel.

Quatre ran his hand through his hair and looked at the others, whom were already entertaining themselves with a pack of cards, Catherine checking out the window every now and then for Trowa. He decided to go find what he was going to wear, when he saw Demetri come back down with clothes and a towel and he remembered that the bathroom was downstairs next to the room he was staying in.

" Oh yeah," Quatre stopped her before she entered the bathroom and she spun around to look at him, " Give the heater a few minutes or the water will be freezing. I'd replace the old-fashioned system, but…I kinda like it, I guess…"

" I understand," Demetri smiled at him in a way that told him she really did.

It seemed unusual that they could connect in such a weird way. In fact, so unusual that Quatre took her up in his arms in an unusual way and planted an ecstatically unusual kiss on her lips. Then she smiled a thoroughly unusual smile and Quatre unusually concluded that she unusually didn't mind.

" Right," Quatre chuckled, " Sorry to keep you".

" No problem," Demetri smiled before disappearing behind the bathroom door. And thus started the not so unusual stream of "evil" thoughts entering his mind. He was doomed from then on to be not only happy and pleased in her presence, but tortured, as was made evident when he heard her turn on the shower while he was looking through his clothes.

He shook his head to try and clear it, or kill the brain cells which induced such thinking, but that only seemed to make it worse. And then he started seeing things, like Demetri in a towel at the doorway….wait…

" Um…" Demetri blushed, even though the towel covered more than some girls' dresses, it was just the thought that it was a towel, " There aren't any soaps or anything in there…and I didn't bring any…"

" Oh…uh, yeah…" Quatre nervously stood and walked over to a cupboard next to Demetri, " sorry, I forgot to put some in there. Here, you can take these, they probably aren't the best, but…"

Quatre just shrugged as Demetri took the bottles of soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

"They'll be fine…" Demetri tried to smile, but Quatre noticed that she looked awfully pale before she turned to leave, " I'll be quick".

And then she was gone. Quatre closed the cupboard door and leaned his head against it, actually, more banged his head against it. This might make for an awkward evening.

"Nope," Quatre announced to himself out loud, ' must regain confidence…yup…. I just hope Demetri uses most of the hot water….it wouldn't hurt to have a cold shower…'

In the bathroom, Demetri closed and locked the door, then leaned back against it, looking at the ceiling. She sighed and rubbed her hand on her forehead. An old feeling had surfaced for her: fear.

She wanted anything to make this fear go away, it hurt to feel scared, especially around Quatre. It made her want to scream. But the fear stuck with her all the way into town.

"Demetri, is something wrong?" Quatre asked as the both got out of the car parked on the side of the main street in the beautifully lit old town.

"No," Demetri said impulsively and hurried onto the sidewalk. She hoped there wouldn't be any more from Quatre but knew that hope was pointless. She didn't expect it when he grabbed her elbow in concern, however. She whipped around quickly and stared up at him, startled. Her being startled, startled Quatre and he took a step back.

"Sorry," he said, confused by her fear, " Are you feeling alright?"

" Y…yeah," Demetri looked away from him and rubbed her arms, " just kinda tired or something…"

Quatre grabbed the sleeve of her jacket and spun her around, bringing her into his arms. Demetri looked up in panic, wanting to scream again but only managing a whimper. A couple of girls maneuvered around the two, giggling.

"I'd like to know what's on your mind," Quatre said into her hair, but she was speechless.

She expected the fear to overwhelm her to the point of her demise soon, but suddenly it changed. Her heart went just as fast, but seemed to change rhythm. She felt the terror disappear and soon it started to be replaced by a strange comfort. Words still didn't come, so she just closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Things would be okay.

" Come on," she finally breathed out, pushing herself away from him, " We're blocking foot traffic, let's go eat. All that hiking made me hungry".

" Yeah, me too," Quatre walked beside her down the sidewalk, still confused, " So…anywhere you want to go is fine with me, you pick…"

"Great, sticking me with the great responsibility of decision making," Demetri smiled over at him, hugging her wool jacket to herself, " Really, anywhere that serves beer in a mason jar is fine with me…"

" You're kidding, right?" Quatre slowed his pace slightly, still confused by the 180 turn in Demetri's mood. Demetri just smiled back at him before grabbing his hand.

" Here's fine," Demetri motioned to a small restaurant just ahead of them, " I'll be glad to get out of this chill".

" Yeah," Quatre smiled before opening the door for her to the dimly lit restaurant.

A/N- Oh goodness, this chapter sucked….not to mention it's just a teeny bit late…oh well, I'll make it better. I wish Demetri would quit having so many issues, she's getting annoying, first her horse dies at a competition, now she's afraid of getting closer to Quatre. Where will it end? Oh, it'll end alright…Speaking of which, I should think about wrapping this up or at least get a good plot twist in here.

Just watch, it'll get good again…and there will be more horsies!

Speaking of which, I don't think I informed my readers when I got my fifth horse. I'm having a hell of a time with that stinking mare…I like my baby much better…even though he's three now and I'm training him to ride. He's the greatest horse ever! But I suppose anybody would say that of a horse they raised from a baby….anyhoo, I'm sending my Arab mare away this Monday to another trainer so I don't have to deal with her and my three year old…but then again, that's one more place I have to go and one more thing to do during the week now that I'm starting classes up again….so, my schedule's like this:

4:30 : Wake up

5:00: No, really, I mean it, wake up

5:30: You better at least be upright and wearing pants, because the horses need fed before you leave

6:00: Leave for school

6:30: First Class

3:30: Get out of last class

4:00: arrive home, hope for cloud cover, because it is hoooot outside, but you still have horse stuff to do

4:30: Make sure the waters are filled, then head over to the farm to check up on Rain/do any work that needs done involving her

5:30: You better be heading home, you have another horse to train that needs you more

6:00: Work with Strider: Groom, Halter work, longe work, rein work, saddle work, groom again….

7:30: Horses need to be fed, watered, stalls cleaned, groom Lady if someone else hasn't, oh yeah, and take care of your other animals too, after all, it is your fault we have four of the five cats and all of the goats

8-8:30(depending on what needed done at 7:30): If dinner isn't on the table, it's your turn to make it, eat

9:00: Go ahead and have some time for yourself

This is where I would read a book on training or endurance riding, poetry, maybe a good novel even…I might write something or maybe even draw, but I'm bound to be crashing pretty soon, because I have an early start the next morning…now if only I could fit in yoga without falling off a chair during a class….


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